Voluntary Change
by EternallyGaea
Summary: Set after the events of Avengers, Loki is forced to answer for his crimes against Asgard, Jotunheim, and Earth. Receiving the same punishment as his brother Thor and banished to Earth, Loki must contend with starting over. Will it be better for him to remain vengeful and everyone's enemy, or is change necessary to get his life moving in a more efficient direction?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

He felt their eyes on him. It was a penetrating feeling, as they watched him, asking themselves what had happened. How could it have gone so wrong? How could he have brought such shame to his family? Where was the man that held such promise? He felt the anger inside him rise as these thoughts rushed his mind. He walked as the crowd around him watched carefully, allowing the spectacle to unfold in front of them. The air was heavy and stern, the crowd adding to the tension.

Anger burned within him as the guards on either side of him clutched his arms even tighter, ensuring no escape. The cuffs around his wrists felt especially tight, but he figured that was the point. He kept his head low, purposefully ignoring the large and beautiful hall surrounding him. His eyes stared ahead of him. Shame was not a feeling on his radar right now. Instead, fury and defiance were what kept him walking. Despite his failings, his mistakes, and his choices, he refused to feel remorse for his actions. He did what he did for a reason, and to him, it made sense. Unfortunately, that perspective was not shared by those he was now facing, standing directly ahead of him.

Odin, the All Father, Ruler of the Nine Realms stood high above the crowds in front of his throne. He held strongly onto his staff as he watched his youngest son escorted toward him. His oldest son, Thor stood to his right, witnessing the same sight unfold. As Odin watched his son, heaviness laced itself throughout his heart. He had always known his youngest son had a deviant side, but he never thought it would culminate to this. Yet today, his worst fears were being realized, and today it was he who had to deal directly with what was in front of him. He felt the same heaviness emanating from his lovely wife Frigga, mother of both Thor and the youngest son now making his way toward them. Frigga's pain was far more apparent as she struggled to remain stoic standing slightly behind Odin. Despite her discipline, small tears slowly made their way down her face.

The guards stopped stone faced at the bottom of the grand staircase in front of Odin, Thor, Frigga, and the other warriors flanking the high royalty. Odin took a step forward and allowed his staff to hit the ground with a sound reverberating throughout the entire hall. Despite his own pain, he still had a job to do. The man flanked by the guards kept his head low, narrowing his eyes and stared ahead of him. Now it was beginning.

"Citizens of Asgard, we are gathered here today to attend to a matter of great importance. In our efforts to protect The Nine Realms, it is our responsibility to eliminate all threats, in order to maintain peace. It has been the duty of Asgard since time began to keep the peace of The Nine Realms. However, even we can be guilty of disturbing that very peace. Today, we are to remedy this matter and smooth the waters that were disturbed and bring order back to the universe," Odin started. He took a stern look at his son standing below him.

"Loki. Odinson. You have been brought here today to face the consequences of the crimes you have committed against Asgard, Jotunheim, and Earth. You are here to face your recklessness and disregard for the safety of the Nine Realms your actions have inflicted. You are also here to take responsibility for your actions and provide an example to any and all people of Asgard. Despite your royal lineage and citizenship of Asgard, should you or any other Asgardian pose a threat to any of the Nine Realms, you will not be immune to a punishment equally proportionate to your crimes," Odin started, pausing before continuing. "You have been charged with war crimes against Asgard, Jotunheim, and Earth, and as a result, have been deemed a danger to the remaining Nine Realms. Do you acknowledge and understand the charges brought against you?" Odin stated strongly, his voice filling the enormous hall.

Loki kept his eyes low, more anger building in him. Oh he understood the charges alright. But he would not allow them to win. Defiantly he lifted his eyes to meet his father, staring in the one good eye Odin still had. He hoped Odin could feel the rage flowing from him.

"Yes," he stated strongly, forcefully remaining as resistant as possible. He wanted them all to understand that he was still a force to be reckoned with, and that the war was far from over. He allowed his eyes to briefly drift to the man he used to call his brother, who from a distance looked as immoveable as his father. Yet having a closer proximity to him, Loki saw a small crease in Thor's brow. Inside Loki scoffed.

He couldn't believe that after all Loki had done to Thor as of late, including multiple attempts on Thor's life, Thor still held on to hope for Loki. Loki wanted to see Thor's rage. He wanted to see Thor succumb to the true feelings of anger he must have against him. But instead, Thor appeared to be holding onto the past – days gone by where Loki suppressed his deviant and more mischievous side. And for what? For Thor to succeed the throne while he was left passed over? He had worked so hard back then to be everything his family wanted. And yet, Thor always remained the favorite. No matter what Loki did, it was never enough in the eyes of Odin.

A mischievous smile snaked its way across Loki's face as he thought of those days growing up with Thor. For Thor they were pleasant memories, but for Loki, they were torturous reminders of everything he wasn't. He smiled as he imagined those memories being ripped from Thor's hands, like a vicious wind catching them and tearing them to shreds. Thor was living a lie, and Loki was determined to do everything he could to prove that to him.

However, Loki was shaken from his vision when Odin's voice boomed before him once again.

"Upon your acceptance of these charges, you are to be sentenced with a punishment exacting the crimes you have committed," Odin started, grasping his spear even tighter. Loki looked directly up at the All Father and did not dare divert his gaze.

"Upon the deliberation of the royalty of Asgard, the royal counselors, and veteran warriors of Asgard, it has been determined you are not worthy of your title, your status, or the power granted to you from your birth," Odin went on. He felt a tightness in his chest as he came closer to the fate facing Loki. But he knew it needed to be done, and forced himself to continue on, reminding himself that Loki now was no different than any other enemy of Asgard. "It has been decided that you are to be sentenced to exile, officially initiated by the kingdom of Asgard. You are to be stripped of your title, status, and power, and are to be sentenced to a mortal life on Earth. You will be sentenced to a life among the very people you attacked, and cut off from Asgard. Upon your exile, you will be subject to persecution by the people of Earth and will have to answer for your crimes in whatever fashion they find suitable. Do you understand the sentence which has just been explained to you?" Odin asked, watching Loki carefully.

Loki kept his eyes forward and blinked. Of course they would give him the same sentence his brother Thor had once endured. Constantly would they compare him to his brother Thor. What result did they really expect from Loki? The same outcome as Thor? Loki burned inside. He was _not_ Thor. Why should he face the same punishment? He remained silent, allowing this thought to weave its way through his mind. Again, Odin pulled him from his anger.

"Loki. Do you understand?" he asked again, more forcefully this time.

Loki again looked directly at the All Father.

"Yes," he stated defiantly once more. His voice did not falter.

Odin paused, surveying Loki. He tried to see if Loki would give any sign of a plan of escape or if he had anything up his sleeve. But if Loki was hiding something, Odin determined Loki was extremely good at it, for he could see no sign of anything amiss from his son. He expected the anger and defiance, and if Loki only knew how hard this was for Odin he might not be so angry. However, Odin also knew the rage that fueled Loki, and he knew it not only made Loki blind, but it made him even more dangerous and willing to do whatever was necessary for others to see his point of view. He addressed his son with one last question.

"Do you have anything you wish to say in regard to this sentence or the crimes of which you have been charged?"

Loki paused. Anything to say? Oh, he had tons he could say to these people. Over and over in his mind he was imagining their deaths in dozens of horrific ways. He could even mutter a curse that would send them into writhing pain if he wanted to. It would certainly offer enough of a distraction for an escape attempt. But he also knew Odin. He knew Odin was a wise man, and would have prepared for anything Loki could dish out. And given the security around this "ceremony" of sorts, whatever attempt he could make would not be enough time to allow him the freedom he craved.

He tried to think of a question or statement pertinent to this situation that wasn't centered around his rage, and the only question he could come up with was - how long? How long was he to remain in exile? The same amount of time as Thor? Longer? As much as he wanted to ask the question, he decided to keep it to himself. What did it matter how long? He was being stripped of everything. And given he was to be made a mortal, perhaps his sentence would be until his death - which could make it shorter than Thor's ever was, depending on how long he could survive on Earth. In a way, that could make it a blessing. Or a curse.

Again he stared at Odin. He stubbornly refused to give him the satisfaction of a response displaying his displeasure at his current predicament.

"No," he stated strongly. Let his silence disturb the crowd. They could make up whatever feelings they thought he had.

"So be it," Odin replied with a finality that even Loki felt was permanent. His fate was now sealed. He addressed the crowd once more. "Given that the accused has no closing arguments, this sentencing has now come to an end," Odin stated. He looked to Loki, addressing him once more. "The sentence will be carried out tonight at dusk," he directed at his youngest son. The statement hit Odin like he had been dealt a physical blow. He wanted more time to apologize to his son, for all he had done wrong as a father to Loki. He wanted to undo the pain, and bring everything back to the way things were, before it had gone so horribly wrong. But as a king and protector of The Nine Realms, he needed to choose the lesser of two evils. He just hoped one day Loki would understand his actions. He didn't know if that day would ever come, but he could only hope.

Despite the heaviness in his heart, Odin addressed the crowd one last time.

"Let this be an example to the people of Asgard, that we do not tolerate any amount of disloyalty, treason, or terrorism, whether against Asgard or dispensed from it. We are a people of peace, and we must maintain the balance of the universe at all costs. It is our duty, our responsibility, and our honor," he finalized, allowing his staff to strike the floor once more, the sound again reverberating through the hall, and through the noise of the now cheering crowd. He looked to Loki, who maintained his defiant stare, and signaled for the guards to take him away and back to his holding cell. The guards gripped Loki's arms tightly and pulled him back in the direction they had entered. He slightly jerked his body, attempting to show his discomfort of their escort. But they held on strong, refusing to let go. As he walked, his back to the All Father, he could swear he felt his father's gaze on his back. Slowly he looked back, and indeed met eyes with his father one more time, before being jerked back by the guards to continue on. Odin knew why he looked back, and despite his stern appearance, silently prayed for his youngest son. His soul was truly in the hands of the universe now.

***Author's Note: So, truth be told, this is my first ever fanfiction I have chosen to publish to the world. So, welcome to my world of imagination! Please be patient as I am new to using , so I apologize with any errors I make. However, I look forward to publishing this story and any feedback I may receive. Regarding this story, it is currently in development and hopefully I will keep on it to keep it going. Admittedly, this story should probably be categorized under 'crossover' since I have taken many crossover liberties with this story. I have effectively combined at least 4 different worlds (namely the worlds of Avengers, X-Men, Batman and the t.v. show House, M.D.). I know, it's a lot, but please, bear with me! I promise, it will make sense in the end! (Well, it makes sense to me anyway ha ha). So I apologize if there is any confusion, but I will do my best to clarify in order to make everything make sense. So thank you again for taking time to read my story and let me know what you think. So then, on with the show! : )

And as a disclaimer: I do not own Avengers, X-Men, Batman, or House, M.D. I only own my own ideas, so please, do not steal them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The hours felt like days as Loki sat in his cell, awaiting his fate at dusk. He briefly smiled - perhaps the waiting was another form of torture. Well played Odin. The cell he was in had no windows, making him unable to gauge the time of day by the sunlight, but he figured he had but an hour until his sentence would be upon him. Unlike Thor, he did not know the feeling of being stripped of his power, and despite his fight to be strong, he did feel fear rising within him in anticipation of the weakness he would be experiencing. Would it hurt? How long would the pain last? Being stripped of his title and status, he could handle. But his power? That which was granted to him from his birth? He had never truly gone without it, and the vulnerability did scare him. His senses were sharpened with his power, and his manipulative abilities of the environment around him were what gave him his edge on the battlefield. But soon he would be defenseless – in enemy territory no less. He took a breath. He needed to store as much strength as necessary for what was ahead of him.

He heard the squeaking of a door open beyond the glass of his cell where two guards walked in. He looked up, his heart rate increasing despite his efforts to remain calm. Had he misjudged the time? Was it later than he had estimated? The two guards flanked the entrance and between them walked in a graceful figure Loki had known his entire life. His adoptive mother Frigga, entered the room, a beautiful hood covering her long and graceful hair. She looked to Loki, and reached up to lower her hood from the cloak shielding her from the coldness of the dungeons. Loki stood, waiting for the inevitable. Frigga approached the glass, a saddened expression on her face.

"I assume it is time," Loki spoke. Her lip trembled slightly, but she remained composed.

"Not quite. You have time yet. But I had to see you," she replied, placing a hand on the magically fortified glass of Loki's cell. The glass reacted to her touch, intricate golden patterns radiating out from her touch, reinforcing its strength.

"What can I do for you?" Loki asked, an icy tinge in his voice. He didn't mean to sound so cold, but he couldn't help let his anger rise once again.

"Loki," Frigga began. It was so hard for her to continue. To watch either of her children suffer was a fate worse than death. He was one of her babies. She had watched him grow from a tiny infant to the handsome man who stood in front of her now. A small smile crept onto her face.

"What?" Loki asked, curious of her expression.

She looked down briefly.

"I was just thinking of you when you were a baby. You were the sweetest little thing I had ever seen. Your eyes were always so big and full of wonderment, as if you had millions of questions about the world around you. And you did. You questioned everything. You were so smart from the very beginning," she went on, her eyes beginning to glisten. Loki softened at his mother's emotion.

"Well, I certainly fail to look very smart now," Loki admitted, referring to his current surroundings.

Frigga looked up to him.

"No Loki," she started. There was a fierceness in her eyes he could swear he had never seen before. "You are still so very smart. Intelligence is your gift Loki. And despite what Odin plans to take away from you, your intelligence is something not even he can remove."

Loki sighed. He looked down and then to his mother again.

"How can you still believe in me? After everything I have done?" Loki asked. It was one of the few times he had been honest with himself. He knew the difference between right and wrong, but his anger blinded him most of the time.

"You think me a fool?" she asked, seeing where his mind was going.

He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"In a way, yes," he answered. He did not mean any offense. But all the evidence mounted against him definitely pointed to the contrary. His mother was living in denial; a fool's paradise. Perhaps that was where Thor got it from. Frigga's gaze remained strong on Loki.

"I am not a fool Loki," she stated strongly. "I am your mother," she paused.

Loki looked to her, a wave of guilt washing over him. Frigga had not ever been his enemy. She was always the more benevolent figure in his life, and provided nothing but love and care for both him and Thor.

"I'm sorry," Loki apologized, sighing slightly and looking away from his mother.

"I'm not," Frigga replied. Loki looked up to her, confusion on his face. "You are my son Loki, and you could not ever disappoint me. No matter your faults, I will always love you. You need to remember that. I will never lose hope for you. You are not a lost cause Loki. You are strong, and you are smart, and you have that advantage over every obstacle which faces you," she expounded, her face very close to the glass. She wanted so badly to hold her son. She wanted to keep him safe and not let any more hurt in. But given his current situation, her encouraging words were the best she could do.

"Mother," Loki stated, an ounce of fear lacing his voice. He placed a hand on the glass, matching hers on the opposite side. He hated admitting his own fear creeping up on him.

"No matter what happens, remain strong Loki. Never stop fighting. You have everything you need to overcome the odds. Promise me you will stay strong," she requested.

Loki looked to her and then down. He definitely didn't feel strong. He felt much more like a failure. He shouldn't have even been having this conversation with his mother. He should be free. He should be in good accordance with the royalty of which he was a part of. He should be fighting for the good of Asgard, not against it. All of the possibilities of what he should have been flooded his mind, making him feel even weaker than he already did. Frigga saw it on his face.

"Loki, promise me," she said more forcefully, a tear running down her cheek.

Loki looked up to her. Despite what he should have been, it didn't change what and where he was now. He could either dwell on the past or move on to the future. In that moment, he chose the latter. He met her gaze intently.

"I promise," he replied, a small bit of strength weaving its way through him.

Frigga allowed a small smile shine through her tears. Her fingers curled against the glass in an attempt to touch her sons hand on the opposite side. Loki kept his gaze on his mother, when suddenly there was an abrupt clanking of the spears on the dungeon floor from the guards flanking the door.

Both Loki and Frigga looked in the direction of the door to see four more guards enter the room, followed by the strong figure of Thor who also entered the room. He first looked at Frigga and slightly nodded, acknowledging her presence. She looked to him, her heart racing, knowing what Thor's presence meant. He looked to Loki behind the glass beyond Frigga.

"It is time," he stated, keeping his gaze on Loki. He tried to remain as objective as possible, but even he could not deny some sadness from washing over him.

Frigga turned to look back at Loki, who looked more stoic than anything else. But she could swear she saw his brow slightly furrow in worry. She nodded to Loki.

"Remember your promise," she reminded him. Loki looked to her again.

He nodded, stepping away from the glass, as the guards flanking Thor approached the cell, and deactivated the glass and walked in to bound Loki one last time. As the guards escorted him, he looked to Frigga, his heart pounding. He knew he promised to be strong, but it was proving very hard for him.

"Wait," Frigga instructed, the guards stopping. She approached Loki, the guards parting around him. She looked into his eyes, realizing this might be the last time she would ever see him. She reached up and placed her arms around him, embracing him strongly.

"I lost you once before and last time I was forced to mourn for your loss. But this time I will not mourn. Instead, I will be sending my love your way, and wherever you are, I hope you feel it. I love you so much Loki," she said between tears. Loki wished he could embrace her properly to comfort her, but seeing as his arms were bound, the most he could do was lean into her. She kissed him gently on his cheek. She leaned back and placed a hand on his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. "Do not be afraid," she said with purpose, and a small smile on her face.

Despite Loki's fear, a small part of him felt the warmth of her final statement. He looked at her and he nodded. She was right, and he needed to keep the promise he had made to her. He nodded one last time, communicating that he was ready, and Frigga nodded back and looked to Thor.

"You may take him," she instructed, allowing the guards to surround him once more. Thor allowed the guards to walk ahead of him, and then followed as they and Loki left down the dungeon corridor. Frigga stayed behind in the room for a moment. She felt the sobs start and her hands cover her face as she collapsed on her knees to the floor. She could control her sadness no longer. Her heart ached in a way she had not felt before, and the echoes of her sobs reverberated off of the dungeon walls. She continued to sob, when she felt the warmth of hands on her shoulders.

"Mother," a warm voice said. It was Thor, coming back to comfort her. She didn't have words for Thor, only sobs fighting their way through her. Thor embraced his mother and allowed her to sob against his chest. "I'm sorry Mother," he comforted, rubbing his hand over her back. It was hard for him to see his mother in this state, but he did what he could to comfort her. He looked in the direction of the dungeon corridor, where he had instructed the guards to wait while he went back for his mother. He wondered if Loki could hear her sobs.

Thor hoped he could, so Loki would realize the pain he had brought to their family. But listening to the sobs of his mother saddened him as well, realizing what they meant. Once again, their family was being ripped apart from within. Whether or not Loki could hear his mother's cries, Thor hoped Loki would finally realize the errors of his ways and see what it was doing to the people in his life. And he hoped Loki cared enough to do something about it.

Thor helped his mother up off the floor and looked into her eyes.

"Everything is going to be alright," he reassured. Frigga looked to her eldest son, more tears threatening to escape her. She then looked in the direction of the corridor where she knew Loki currently was.

"I know," she said, gathering her strength. She took a breath. What needed to be done, needed to be done. She would need to deal with it as it came and continue to adhere to the natural order of things.

"Mother, we need to go. They are expecting us," Thor urged gently. He hated having to force her into this hurt, but it was necessary.

"Of course," she acknowledged. Thor offered his arm to escort her from the dungeon, but she ignored it, instead surging ahead to the corridor. If she was going to urge Loki to be strong, she needed to exhibit it herself. Thor lowered his arm and followed his mother, and they, the group of guards and their prisoner made their way to long pathway of the Bifrost.


	3. Chapter 3

Thor and Frigga found Odin, Heimdall, the Warriors Three, Sif, and the royal counselors all assembled at the front of the Bifrost awaiting Loki's sentence. Upon seeing them waiting for him, he felt his anger rise again. It figures they'd want to witness the stripping of his powers and him falling into the mortal world of Earth. Yes, what a spectator sport he must make. He felt his hide harden as he built of wall of loathing around himself.

The Asgardian sun was low in the sky, the oranges and pinks illuminated behind the GoldenPalace. Yet those colors flowed into the darker blues and blacks of the universe as the group approached the BiFrost, the means of transport from Asgard to the other Nine Realms. Normally Loki always appreciated that beautiful transition of colors everyday, but today was not the day to be focused on the sky – except for the fact that he would be flying through it shortly.

"Father," Thor greeted, nodding to the King of the Nine Realms. "We have brought you the war criminal Loki, as you have requested," he reported.

"Very well," Odin replied, nodding back to Thor, where Thor then took his place next to his father. Odin looked to the guards surrounding Loki. "You may escort him into the BiFrost," he instructed, the guards and Loki beginning to move toward the entrance. As Loki and the guards made their way into the BiFrost, the group standing outside slowly filtered in, filling in on either side of the center dais in the middle of the circular structure. Odin took to the center along with Heimdall, Loki and his guards.

Odin looked to Loki, and then looked to the various members of the royalty and royal court, addressing them in the same manner as he did in the grand hall.

"High court and royalty of Asgard, we are gathered here today to fulfill the sentence of the war criminal Loki. He is sentenced for his crimes against Asgard, Jotunheim, and Earth, and is to be sentenced to a mortal life on Earth, stripped of his title, status, and power," he explained once more. Odin knew this was all said before, but in order to make this an official sentence carried out by Asgard, it had to be repeated. He also wanted to weigh the severity of the crimes heavily on Loki. After all, the purpose of sentencing crimes was to teach the convicted a lesson to be learned from. Odin looked to Loki.

"Loki. Odinson," he began, using his own name as Loki's last name. Even though Loki was adopted, Odin was the one to raise him from when he was an infant. Odin was the one to rescue Loki on that fateful day of battle between the Asgardians and Jotuns. A slightly saddened look briefly overtook Odin's face. He knew he should treat Loki like any other criminal, but this was a very different situation. Odin was still Loki's father. He took a half step closer to Loki and reached out a hand, laying it on his shoulder. "It is with a heavy heart that I punish you today. I never wished to see this day come, yet here it is upon us," Odin started. He spoke softer, realizing he was stepping out of the official guidelines when it came to dealing with a criminal. He took a breath, unsure of the best words to use next. "I hope, one day, you will be able to forgive me," Odin finally stated, deciding this was the truest statement he could make for the occasion. He stepped back and spoke louder so the crowd could hear him again. "Upon your exile, you are permitted a final statement. Do you have anything you wish to say?"

Loki looked around. He saw his mother, trying to remain strong for him. He saw Thor, watching with a cloak of sadness about him. He felt like the warriors and the rest were ogling him like he was a steer headed for slaughter. His father's words touched him slightly, but only slightly. His anger at him far overshadowed his forgiveness of him. Odin had committed the greatest crime against Loki, and it was a crime he could not forget easily. And Thor, blinded by his succession of the throne, when it would come to him one day. How could he believe Loki wouldn't be upset by that? Had Thor never realized that their entire childhood was a competition between them? A way to see who was better suited to be the next king of Asgard. And of course Thor was the first choice, because Loki could never seem to measure up to Thor's impetuousness and reckless behavior. If Loki was smart, how was his intelligence not good enough for the succession to the Asgardian throne? The anger built in him, and he lowered his gaze, staring icily forward and narrowing his eyes.

"Any words I utter will merely fall on deaf ears," Loki stated finally, his arrogance getting the better of him. He looked to Frigga, whose brow appeared especially furrowed. So much for remaining strong. He was failing already. He snapped his gaze back in front of him. Seeing the hurt in his mother's eyes was almost more than he could bear.

Odin gazed at his youngest son, knowing the anger he felt. He felt sorry for him. His youngest son was so misunderstood. But it didn't change the fact that he was now a criminal, and his actions needed to be accounted for. Odin's expression hardened, as he braced for his next move.

"Very well," he replied. He looked over to Heimdall, who waited patiently for Odin's orders. "Heimdall," he instructed, nodding. Heimdall knew exactly what Odin was asking, and he strode over to the dais at the center of the room, his enormous sword, which controlled the BiFrost, at the ready. He turned back to Loki.

"Loki Odinson, you are hereby sentenced to a mortal life on Earth. It has been decided you are to be stripped of your title, status, and power," he paused, nodding to the guards as they moved to hold onto his arms and shackles, their weapons at the ready in the event of an escape attempt. At the tightening of their grip, and through Loki's fury, Odin could swear he saw a flicker of fear flash across Loki's eyes. "No longer are you considered a prince of Asgard, a member of the high court, nor a protector of the Nine Realms," Odin continued. Odin then repositioned his staff and held it with both hands, pointing the ornamental end at Loki. "And it is with this staff that I, Odin, King of Asgard and All Father of the Nine Realms, do hereby remove your power endowed to you from your birth."

With the last statement, Odin pointed the staff at Loki uttering some words in a language even Loki couldn't identify. As Odin recited what sounded to Loki like an incantation, he felt as though Odin's voice was growing louder, the odd sounding language, which held an almost sharp quality to it, taking hold of him. It was unlike anything Loki had ever experienced, but the slurry of words grew louder and seemed to not only surround him, but to invade him. As Odin continued, an unfamiliar sensation started deep within Loki. At first it was like a slight vibration, felt deep within his abdomen. However, it only took a few seconds for the sensation to change and a searing pain shot through Loki. He nearly doubled over as a result of the shock, his legs going weak from not only the pain, but from Odin's incantation. Golden streams of light surrounded him flowing around him in erratic patterns. Despite his pain, he could see what appeared to be small streams of gold flowing from his body and combining with that of the larger streams which surrounded him. He cried out as another wave of pain washed over him, now his arms and legs weakened by the quick draining of his power and energy. The guards were forced to support his weight as he slumped over in pain and weakness, using all his energy just to hold his head up to look at Odin.

As Odin recited the incantation, Loki saw his power being ripped from him and flowing directly into Odin's staff. To Loki, it was like watching the last of his life essence drain away, helpless to do anything about it. Pain ripped through him and he cried out again. Frigga's tears were streaming down her face as she watched her son in agony. She instinctively made a lunge toward Loki, as if to save him from his torture, but Thor stopped her, grabbing her arms. She swiftly turned to Thor, an intense look in her eye, but he merely met her gaze and shook his head. She ripped one of her arms away from Thor's grasp and turned toward Loki once more. In the moment she turned to face Loki, she saw Odin signal Heimdall to activate the BiFrost, and he inserted the enormous sword into the dais, causing the circular structure of the BiFrost to begin to spin. Frigga looked up and watched the structure around her move and quickly gain speed. She watched as the structure began to reposition its outlet point, lowering and aiming in the direction of Earth. She again looked to Loki, and over the noise of the BiFrost, the wind of the spell Odin was using, and Loki's screams she heard Odin's booming voice.

"I now proclaim you banished to Earth and away from the opulence of Asgard! May the Gods of the Nine Realms, Jotunheim, and Earth have mercy on your soul," he bellowed above the noise and chaos. He gave one great flourish of his staff, waving it around him, its ornamental end glowing bright gold, having absorbed all of Loki's power. He then pointed the end toward Loki one last time, the BiFrost now spinning at top speed and the portal ready for transport. Bracing himself, a bright golden orange light shot from Odin's staff, illuminating the entire inside of the BiFrost.

In Loki's agony, he had just an ounce of energy to look up to his father, the shot of energy headed straight for him and reflecting brightly in his eyes. In the split second it took for the energy to travel to Loki, Odin briefly saw a flicker of remorse in Loki's eyes. But as soon as the emotion had appeared, it had gone, as Loki was struck by the full force of the power emanating from Odin's staff, pushing him into the portal behind him. The guards holding him jumped quickly out of the way as their prisoner was ripped from their grasp, forced out into the universe and catapulted into the unknown of Earth.


	4. Chapter 4

She studied the sample intently, taking her magnifying glass and bringing it up to her eye with the sample directly underneath. This particular sample proved fairly complex, deep reds shimmering in between the darker browns and blacks. As she studied the rock, she took a moment to jot a note down in her journal regarding the sample. This metamorphic rock sample was from Arizona, a part of the country which millions of years ago had been volcanically active. The garnets in the sample indicated heat and pressure deep within the Earth had altered this rock in order to make it what it was today. Vanessa jotted down a few more notes and measurements. She smiled, realizing that she was holding a part of the Earth's history in the palm of her hand that was truly millions of years old. Given that she was a geologist, one would think that thought would lose its luster, but it never failed to for Vanessa. What could she say? She had a deep appreciation for things that were very old.

She felt a familiar sensation overtake her as she handled the rock in her hands. It was merely a formality, looking at the sample under the magnifying glass and using the fancy equipment in the lab to do her work. Her colleagues and superiors certainly appreciated the traditional way of studying rocks. But Vanessa preferred her own special method of study, which happened to be very different than anything any of her colleagues could identify with. In fact, her method of study was something they could only dream of.

She felt the rock in her hand and its weight. As she handled the sample, she felt herself relax and her subconscious take hold of her. She felt herself drifting, allowing her senses to take over and absorb the rock in her hand. As if her mind's eye was the magnifying glass, she saw the sample and its individual components. She saw the garnet crystals, their intricate gems so perfectly formed so long ago. She saw the quartz, and the apatite crystals, forming along with the garnet crystals. She allowed her senses to infiltrate the rock and its minerals and go even deeper. They painted a picture of a time long gone, when the Earth was still young. It was a chaotic place above ground, and even more chaotic underneath. She felt the heat of the mantle and the immense pressure so deep within the crust of the Earth. She was transported to the location this sample had once inhabited, and was witnessing its birth. She saw the crystals growing, each dictated by the other surrounding minerals and telling a story of that part of the world based off of when and how they formed. As the picture became clearer to her and she was just about to travel even deeper into the sample, she was interrupted by a voice coming from the door.

"Man, I wish I got that look when analyzing rock samples," a familiar voice stated, interrupting Vanessa and her session.

Vanessa closed her hand around the sample, blinking to refocus herself to the present.

"Well, you know how sexy analyzing rock samples can be. The fixation of every woman's fantasy," she replied smartly. The man smiled.

"Is it? Boy, no wonder I can't get a date," he replied, walking in and situating himself on the other side of the table Vanessa had been using in the lab. He motioned to look at the sample himself. She handed it over to him.

"Nice. Great crystal formation. This the Arizona sample?" he asked, turning the rock over in his hands.

"Good eye," she complimented. He smiled.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. I saw it written in your journal there," he admitted, looking down to her notes.

"Cheater," she replied. He merely smiled warmly and set the sample down.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you in the zone there Dr. House," he stated, referring to his entrance from earlier.

"Eh, no biggie. You know me. I get so engrossed in these things. The room wasn't shaking, was it?" she asked, more nonchalantly than anything else. The man smiled.

"Not today," he replied.

"Good. But if you think I'm going to let that Dr. House thing slide, you've got another thing coming Jesse," she countered, raising an eyebrow at him.

Jesse lightly laughed and leaned back, running a hand through his long reddish-blonde hair.

"Sorry. I forgot how sensitive you were about that," he replied, but Vanessa didn't feel he was being completely truthful. She hated being called by her father's name. It wasn't that she hated her father, but being the daughter of the brilliant Dr. Gregory House, the great diagnostician of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital had its strings and expectations attached to it. Plus, Dr. House was something she only wanted professionals or acquaintances to call her – not friends or colleagues. And Jesse knew that.

"So, I assume you've heard?" Jesse asked, changing the subject and steering the conversation toward what he had originally come in for.

Vanessa turned her attention back to the rock sample, having grabbed a slide and put it under the microscope at the table she was using.

"What? About our reassignment?" she asked, clarifying his question. Jesse folded his hands over his stomach, relaxing a little bit more. He nodded.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

Vanessa continued to look through the microscope.

"I think it's going to be a fun ride," she commented, referring to the adventure the University and specifically the United States Geological Survey, also known as the USGS, were sending her and her team on.

Jesse watched his colleague with intrigue.

"You think they want us to do more than study rocks out there?" Jesse asked.

Vanessa raised a brow.

"I know they do," she replied. Jesse nodded.

"Well, it is Yellowstone. It's a volatile place," Jesse acknowledged.

"I'd generally say so. Geologically speaking anyway," Vanessa agreed.

"It's pretty lucky, them choosing us for this. Don't you think? They could have chosen anyone else in the world, but they chose us," Jesse mused, rubbing his hand over his short beard and mustache.

Vanessa smiled. "Well of course they'd choose us. We're the best," she replied, taking a break from the microscope and looking toward Jesse.

"And, we're gifted," Jesse added, raising an eyebrow to Vanessa. "Well, you're gifted," he clarified. Vanessa gave Jesse a knowing glance and smile.

"Oh come on, don't sell yourself so short," Vanessa replied smiling mischievously toward Jesse, crossing her arms. Jesse merely looked to the side, and then back to Vanessa.

"So, does the rest of the team know?" he asked, referring to the three other geologists that made up their team.

"Well I certainly hope so. I sent them all an e-mail and the files should be sitting on their office desks already. Unless the files are lost underneath all of their students assignments," Vanessa stated, a contemplative look on her face.

Like herself, Vanessa and her team were part-time professors at the University of Gotham, and when they weren't teaching, they were out in the field on expeditions, gathering samples and studying various geologically significant terrains. Like Vanessa, none of the team was originally from GothamCity, famed city of the Batman and his villain groupies, but it was an excellent place for employment. Who would have figured that Gotham would have such an excellent Geology department? It was extremely well funded, along with the rest of the university. Vanessa figured it was lucky to live in a city where Wayne Enterprises was generous enough to give donations to institutions it felt worthy of such investments. It was either lucky or convenient. Either way, Vanessa was thankful for it.

Vanessa had lived in Gotham for a long time, and despite its overall gloomy demeanor, she enjoyed its character. It might not have the Avengers, but there certainly wasn't a dull moment in this city – of that Vanessa was incredibly convinced. She wasn't about to move from this city, but she was going to miss it, as this latest assignment was requiring her and her team to live in Yellowstone for about a year and a half. This was one of the longest assignments she and her team had ever received and she hoped they were all up for the task.

Vanessa allowed her brow to crinkle.

"Well, those knuckleheads better know, because we leave in a week and a half," she stated, thinking ahead to their soon to be future. Jesse chuckled.

"Don't worry, they'll get it together. They'll procrastinate to the end like they always do," Jesse smiled, knowing his teammates all too well. Vanessa nodded, agreeing with Jesse.

"Well, I have my own loose ends to tie up here too. I'll probably be getting out there later than you guys," Vanessa stated, looking around the lab. Being the head of a team definitely came with its responsibilities. The higher you moved up the more you had to do. Jesse furrowed his brow.

"What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"Oh you know, last minute errands I have to run and tasks to fulfill. Stops I have to make before I leave," she stated finally, looking at Jesse with a softer gaze. He nodded, realizing what she meant. Her family lived not too far from Gotham, and he knew she was definitely going to make a trip out to Princeton, New Jersey.

"Gotcha," Jesse replied. Jesse then looked at his watch, realizing he needed to get a move on and take care of some loose ends himself.

"Got papers to grade?" Vanessa asked, noting his current demeanor.

"Ha, something like that," Jesse replied smiling gently. "More like an expedition to prepare for," he smiled again, raising an eyebrow. He started to stand and Vanessa stood up along with him.

"I can always count on you being the first one ready to go. I just wish your teammates followed by your example," Vanessa commented, walking with Jesse as he started to exit the large lab. "Looks like I'll have to light a fire under their asses for this one."

"Literally?" Jesse asked, a perplexed look on his face.

Vanessa smiled mischievously.

"That would be fun wouldn't it?" Vanessa replied. Jesse merely shook his head.

"You're the boss," Jesse replied, he and Vanessa finally making it to the hallway.

"I knew you'd agree," Vanessa replied. She winked. "I'm sure I'll see you around," she finally stated, closing their conversation.

"Probably so. If not, see you out in Yellowstone," Jesse nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You bet," Vanessa replied. Jesse finally nodded, and turned to walk down the hallway toward his office. Vanessa smiled. Yep, another adventure on the horizon.

***Author's Note: As I mentioned before, this story is more of a crossover than a true Avengers/Loki fan fiction. However, it is more engrossed in the Avengers/Loki and Marvel universe than anything else. For the purposes of this story I would like to clarify that I have taken many crossover liberties, and I am well aware that DC and Marvel are two separate universes in the real world. However, in my universe (teehee) DC and Marvel are on the same plane, so therefore, Marvel characters know about the DC universe and DC characters know about the Marvel universe. Otherwise, I am aware that they are two separate universes. So please do not think I am ignorant, I'm just mixing things up because I can. : ) But thank you again for reading and the feedback! It truly keeps me motivated! Keep it up!


	5. Chapter 5

"So what presents with head pain, dizziness, seizures, and an otherwise drunk demeanor?" the doctor asked, his team looking up at him.

"Acoustic Neuroma?" Dr. Robert Chase offered.

"Could be a cerebellar stroke," Dr. Eric Foreman also chimed in, throwing out more ideas. This case was proving more and more challenging as it progressed, and the patient only had a limited amount of time until things took a severe turn for the worse.

"CT scan showed no clots or bleeds," Dr. Allison Cameron added, shooting down Foreman's suggestion. The three doctors making up the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital Diagnostic Department looked at one another, hoping another viable idea might jump out at them.

"Come on people, throw me anything," House goaded.

"You might want to check the plumbing. Sounds like a CSF leak to me," a voice from the doorway chimed in.

House and the other three doctors looked over to the figure leaning against the doorway.

"Hey," Foreman smiled, getting up immediately to greet the familiar guest, giving her a welcome hug. The other doctors stood from the table at the presence as well.

"Well, hello to you too Dr. Foreman," Vanessa smiled, hugging him in response.

"How have you been?" he asked genuinely.

"Oh you know, biding my time in Gotham. But certainly better than when we first met," she smiled, still grasping his shoulder. Her attention turned when she saw Dr. Chase next in line for a greeting.

"Why hello there Dr. Chase. Miss me much?" she asked the attractive blonde haired doctor, arching her eyebrow with a smirk on her face. He looked from House back to her.

"Only as much as a doctor would miss his patient," he responded, his beautiful Australian accent adding to his charm.

"Good answer," House offered, watching as Chase moved in to hug Vanessa.

"You look good," Chase added. Vanessa raised her eyebrow again. "Healthy, I mean."

"Uh-huh. I bet that's what you meant," Vanessa smiled.

Chase merely smiled, moving aside to allow Cameron for the last greeting.

"How have you been?" she asked, after delivering a warm hug.

"Good, overall. Working," Vanessa answered.

As the salutations commenced, House rolled his eyes.

"Yes, thank you for your ever so impromptu visit, but we are in the middle of DDXing a case people," he continued, allowing his annoyance to show, in true House fashion.

"Come on House, you can't take at least five minutes to say 'hi' to your own kid?" Chase asked.

"Yes. What about you Daddy? Don't I get a hug?" Vanessa asked, her arms outstretched in an open invitation.

House stared at her, lowering his gaze, unmoving from his position. Vanessa dropped her arms and waved him off. She looked to the other doctors.

"He's just mad because I thought of an idea he should have," she smiled.

"No, actually I'm marveling at the fact that if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have had that idea in the first place," House corrected. He stared at her and she stared back at him, his brilliant blue eyes connecting with her matching set, an unspoken grudge match brewing. As Vanessa stared at him defiantly, House finally broke and lightly smiled.

"Come here," he invited, resting his cane on the crook of his arm, and taking a step toward her with open arms.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Dad," she smiled, letting her arms rest on his shoulders.

"Hey. How have you been?" he asked.

"Good Dad. I've been good," she smiled, nodding her head, letting go of him.

"Of course, if you bothered to call more often, I'd have a better idea," House chided, laying on the parental guilt.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm pretty sure phones work two ways," Vanessa fired back.

"Yes, but children are far more obligated to maintain contact with their parents than the other way around," House explained. He looked over to his team, who watched with interest as their otherwise brooding boss showed some uncommon affection. "It's easier to lay on the guilt that way," he finished assuredly.

"You know, a CSF leak makes sense," Foreman mentioned, bringing the attention back to the case.

Vanessa mouthed a "thank you," recognizing Foreman's shift of attention from her lack of correspondence skills.

He nodded and winked, communicating it was no problem. She smiled.

"It accounts for all of the symptoms. The dizziness, the head pain, and the seizures."

"Nice try Foreman, but Vanessa isn't off the hook. Neither are you. All three of you, run an LP and get an MRI of the brain. Find the leak and plug it up," House directed.

Foreman nodded, as the team started to head out. "Good to see you again," he directed at Vanessa, patting her arm.

Vanessa nodded. "Likewise," she responded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, time is diagnosis. Get a move on," House added, shooing the team out. He turned his attention back to Vanessa.

"So what honor do I have for your visit?" he asked, making his way into his office and sitting down at his desk. Vanessa sat down across from him, as a stricken look appeared on her father's face. "Oh wait, don't tell me your pregnant," he stated. Part of the remark was sarcastic, but also curious.

Vanessa smirked.

"Are you kidding? Trust me Dad, you'll know when I'm pregnant. Because I'll be gloating about the fact that I'll have finally made you a grandfather," Vanessa retorted, crossing her arms.

House raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that will be the day," she leaned back and smiled. She loved torturing her father.

"Right. But assuming you aren't yet, why are you really here?" House asked, getting to the point.

"What? A girl can't come and leisurely visit with her father simply to catch up?" Vanessa asked, trying to appear innocent.

"No," House answered. "Because if you wanted to leisurely catch up, it'd be easiest to do it over the phone. I have to assume you're here because of something more serious," House deducted. Vanessa smiled a weak smile.

"True to form, Dad. You always suspect a motive," she commented. She took a breath and looked down. "And true to form, you're right."

House raised an interested eyebrow. "So what's up?"

"Well, I'm actually here because I'm on my way out West," Vanessa started. House looked to the side and then back to Vanessa.

"What's out West?" he asked.

"Oh you know, rocks, mountains, rivers, snow," she replied. House gave her an annoyed glance.

"It's Yellowstone. Work is sending me out there," she finally answered.

House leaned back in his chair and lowered his gaze at her.

"Yellowstone," he repeated.

"Yep," Vanessa confirmed.

House nodded and let his eyes wander the room for a moment.

"So what will you be doing out there?" he asked.

"The USGS wants me to study the activity out there. You know catalog everything, take samples, study the topography, and the general geologic activity going on. I'll be out there for about a year. Maybe longer," she explained. House gave a nod.

"Well, congrats. You've wanted to go out there your whole life, right?" House asked.

Vanessa leaned back and took a breath.

"Yeah," she replied, a less than enthusiastic air about her.

House lowered his gaze again, and looked past Vanessa, letting his mind wander.

"That place has been under study by scientists for decades. After all this time, they probably have as much information as they need," House stated, bringing his attention to Vanessa again. "I assume your presence out there is fairly significant."

Vanessa brought her eyes to meet his.

"You could say that," she confirmed. He could tell she was holding back, as if she was withholding information. He'd normally press the matter, but instead kept his thoughts to himself.

An awkward silence hung in the air between them.

"Yeah, well you know, I guess it's a compliment. Them asking me out there," Vanessa stated, breaking the silence.

"Absolutely. But of course they'd ask for you. You're _my_ kid," House added matter-of-factly.

Vanessa lightly laughed, and raised her eyebrows. "Yes. It couldn't possibly be because I've earned this placement of my own merit," she smirked. The air got heavy again. A contemplative silence hung between them, unsure of where to go. House looked around the room and then looked to Vanessa, who appeared lost in thought.

"So, when do you leave?" he asked suddenly, moving the conversation along.

"I start my journey today. I've already shipped most of my stuff out there. I have a team waiting for me."

House smiled.

Vanessa gave him a questioning look, unsure of what caused his smile.

"What?" she asked.

"You've got a team? Yeah, you're not copying me at all," he smirked.

Vanessa glared at him.

"Well, you don't really expect me to tackle an endeavor like this all by myself, do you?" she challenged back.

House' smirk remained on his face.

"Hey, and who's to say it was my idea anyway?" she asked, trying to defend her identity.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," House smiled, leaning further back in his chair.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and looked to her father once again. It wasn't like she truly wanted to deny her father's influence over her. She liked to say she was the daughter of Dr. Gregory House, famed legend of the medical community. But from a purely rebellious standpoint, she liked to stand alone. To make her father's life more difficult, she enjoyed denying any association with him, but only if it was in front of him. He knew it was usually a joke.

"Come on, let's do lunch. You're buying," House stated, making a move to get up out of his chair and grabbing his cane. Vanessa rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You serious Dad?" she asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"As serious as a cripple with a cane," he countered raising his eyebrows and standing up. Vanessa stood up along with him and allowed him to lead the way out of his office, shaking her head. Leave it to Dad to stick her with the bill.

After a rather uneventful but pleasant lunch with her father, and Vanessa's wallet a little lighter, House and Vanessa found themselves in the visitor parking lot of the hospital.

"Travelling cross-country on a motorcycle. Yeah, that sounds safe," House stated, pointing his cane at Vanessa's black Kawasaki.

"Yeah, because you wouldn't do the same thing," Vanessa replied crossing her arms. Her father too owned his own Honda motorcycle.

"Nope. Car would be warmer," House continued, squinting and looking briefly out to the rest of the parking lot.

"What can I say? Just couldn't leave it behind. Travelling in style is everything you know," Vanessa said, gesturing to the bike. "Plus, I had one of the guys from my team take my car out there. They needed it to haul equipment anyway," Vanessa explained.

"Right," House stated, another awkward silence brewing between them. House looked down, tapping his cane on the concrete briefly. He looked out to the horizon and then back to Vanessa. "So, a year, huh?" House asked, referring to how long Vanessa was to spend out west.

"About. Perhaps longer, like I said," she replied, a hand on her hip.

"You planning on inviting me out there for a visit sometime in that year?" House asked, raising a brow. Vanessa smiled.

"Not if I can avoid it," she started seriously. She then looked back to her Dad. "But if you absolutely have to, then I'm sure I could arrange something," she replied, a challenging look in her eye.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure I intrude as much as possible," House stated assuredly.

"I know you will," Vanessa agreed. "It wouldn't be you otherwise," she added, smiling genuinely. House again looked out to the horizon.

"Be careful out there," he stated seriously. He meant it. He wasn't sure of everything she was going to face on this expedition, but he knew what her assignment out there meant, and it made him nervous.

"Don't worry Dad. I can take care of myself," she replied, a small smile on her face. She was touched by her Dad's sign of affection as a parent.

"I know," he said seriously. "But you know, when you live in a world where men with hammers show up and alien worm holes appear in the sky, you tend to worry about your children," House added, squinting his eyes, his usual sarcastic demeanor rising to the surface once again. Vanessa smiled.

"Well, perhaps I could hire Tony Stark to act as my body guard. Although, I'd rather steal his suit. It'd be a fun toy to play with," Vanessa replied, playing into her father's sarcasm. House smiled weakly. Vanessa put a reassuring hand on her father's arm. "I'll be fine Dad. You know me. My life is weird and that's the way I like it," she smiled. "I think it's genetic," she added, raising a brow to her father. She was always blaming him for the weird occurrences in her life and her affinity toward the unusual. Her Dad was certainly out there when it came to living a conventional life. He definitely lived to work against the grain of society. In many ways, Vanessa wasn't much different.

"Don't worry, I'm thankful for it," she smiled.

"You better be," House replied, nodding slightly. Vanessa looked out to the road, knowing she had a long journey ahead of her. She looked back up to her Dad.

"Well, I better be on my way. Geysers and calderas won't study themselves," Vanessa stated. "Plus, who knows what trouble my team has already gotten into. I know at least one of them will have rifled through my underwear by the time I get there," Vanessa commented, looking to the side and thinking out loud. House furrowed his brow.

"You sent your clothing out there ahead of you?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Most of it – plus a bunch of my other stuff. I just have what I'll need to get me through the ride out west. Can't pack much on a motorcycle," she explained.

"Right," House merely replied. Vanessa could tell his behavior was far subdued from his normal upfront sarcasm. He seemed especially bothered.

"Dad, stop worrying and go pop a Vicodin," Vanessa finally stated. House jerked his head up.

"What? I couldn't do that. It'd be unethical," he replied, his sarcasm returning. That was the father she knew and loved. Vanessa wasn't one to encourage his addiction to painkillers, but considering the circumstances and how his behavior was making even her nervous, she felt it appropriate. Vanessa smiled.

"Come here," House motioned, opening his arms for one last hug before Vanessa's journey. Vanessa embraced him. "I'm proud of you," he stated seriously. Vanessa couldn't help but allow her smile to widen and allow some emotion to rise within her.

"Thanks Dad," she replied. She hugged him a little harder. "I love you," she added.

"Love you too," he replied, kissing her gently on the cheek and then letting go of her. It was definitely uncommon for House to show much emotion at all, but it always came to the surface against his will when it came to his daughter.

Vanessa let go of her Dad and then turned to make her way to her bike.

"Don't do anything I would do," House advised.

"Dad," Vanessa started, putting a leg over her bike and grabbing the handlebars. She stared at him briefly. "Do you want me to have _any_ fun while I'm out there?"

House smiled. "Right. Scratch my last attempt at wisdom as a doting father," House replied, both hands on his cane.

"I'll try to keep it in mind. But I can't make any promises," Vanessa admitted, starting the ignition of her bike. "Now go on and save some more lives," she suggested, a smart smile on her face.

House smiled, looking briefly away from his daughter and then back to her.

"Get on out of here kid," he smiled, nodding his head to the horizon. Vanessa nodded.

"I'll give you a call when I get there. Take care of yourself Dad," Vanessa stated finally. House nodded.

"You too," he replied. Vanessa nodded once more, and revving her engine, turned her bike to the right, driving around him and out to the road, her long brown hair whipping in the wind behind her. House watched her, and looked down to the ground for a moment, then back up in the direction Vanessa had gone. He tapped his cane a few times, and then turned to walk back into the hospital to finish saving one more life.

***Author's Note: Dear faithful readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far, and again, thank you for reading it. I truly appreciate it. Please bear with me. The next few chapters are "build up" chapters. So please, do not lose faith, for our precious Loki will return! : D But these next chapters are introducing characters that become integral to the plot later on. So have no fear! I promise, Loki's just taking a really long time to land on Earth. The universe is a big place right? Makes sense. XD

Also, in reference to this chapter, you'll have to excuse my insertion of House from House, M.D., into this story. He's an important character, but obviously not part of the comic book/comic movie universe. But, I love the idea of him being part of that universe. If you have not ever seen the show House, M.D., I highly recommend it, for it is an intelligently written show, with great characters, storylines, and brilliant writing. I swear I learn something new every time I re-watch an episode. Plus, you honestly cannot beat Hugh Laurie's acting (except for maybe Tom Hiddleston's, of course – but I think even Tom Hiddleston would graciously bow down to Hugh Laurie, being the beautiful gentleman he is ; D).


	6. Chapter 6

Vanessa rolled into the town of Obsidian Ridge after about two days worth of travel. The wonderful and crisp mountain air greeted her as she made her way through the town center. Obsidian Ridge was a town situated about 30 miles northeast of YellowstoneNational Park proper. Numerous towns existed around the entire park, but this one provided the most convenient path of travel into the park, and truly, was the most picturesque of the surrounding towns. It wasn't a large town, but it had a lot to offer. Situated in the higher elevations, it looked out over the northern part of YellowstonePark, and on especially clear days offered a spectacular view for miles. Obsidian Ridge had the conventional stops for any tourist like hotels, gift shops, and some small museums explaining the geologic and human history of the town. It also had some excellent restaurants and bars, hiking, hot springs, and a few stray geysers. But Vanessa especially enjoyed the feel of the town. Most of its structures fit well into the surrounding nature, fashioned after cozy log cabins. There were a few structures, such as hotels that had a more modern feel to them, but everything else was of an old fashioned design. She also noticed a Native American influence over the town, with various structures incorporating Native American symbols and words in the architecture of the buildings. To Vanessa, it made the town have a more authentic feel – a deep and ingrained history connected with the spirits of the heavens and the earth.

Making her way through the center of the town, she continued on to the higher elevations to the northeast. As she followed a winding road she passed the numerous houses and cabins she had seen dotting the mountainside when she had first entered the town. Most of the homes were well hidden in the surrounding pine forest and set far from the main road, but it was easy to tell that these homes and cabins were luxurious. No doubt most of these houses were vacation homes built by families with grand incomes, looking for a chance to get away and enjoy the mountains. Vanessa smiled to herself. Luxury wasn't completely her style, but she could certainly get used to it.

However, she figured she might not have a choice as she finally turned down the driveway leading to the cabin she and her team were renting for their time in Yellowstone. Or cabins, was more like it, as she found herself looking up at two large cabins practically growing out of the mountainside and overlooking the town and the park below. As she got closer to the cabins, she noticed a large deck uniting the two cabins, their large wall sized windows facing out over the town and park. This was luxury for sure, and she made a mental note to write a long thank you letter to the university and USGS for their considerate accommodations.

She slowed her bike down and parked it next to her Honda CR-V, which thankfully looked like it had been well taken care of by her team. She turned off the engine of her bike and grabbed her small duffle bag.

"Hey, hot shot! Have a nice ride?" she heard a voice yell from above. It was her Geophysicist Adam Ives, who by far was the sassiest scientist on her staff – well other than her. He evidently was lounging on the deck enjoying the beautiful spring sun, a drink in his hand. Vanessa looked up.

"I see you're working very hard there Dr. Ives," Vanessa shot at him.

"You know me boss. Work is the worst four letter word in the dictionary," he smiled down at her. He turned his head to the side. "Hey! The boss is in the house!" he yelled, to the open door from the deck. Vanessa smiled, walking into the garage and into the cabin.

Making her way up some stairs from the garage and through the laundry room she found herself in the kitchen, a beautiful room which opened up to a very large living and dining room. Taking in the cabin, Vanessa looked up to the high ceilings, large logs spanning across the length of the vaulted ceilings, adding to the airy aesthetic of the cabin. The sun filtered in easily through the large windows overlooking the scenery below, and Vanessa could not help but admire the view. As she surveyed her surroundings, she heard movement from behind her.

"Glad to see you made it here safe and sound," Jesse commented, a soft smile on his lips as he made his way down the stairs. Vanessa looked behind her to see an open loft from where Jesse had come, which evidently lead to the other rooms in the house.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Vanessa asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Only a little," Jesse answered smiling, greeting Vanessa with a hug.

"Hey now Dr. Chieftain! Save some action for me," Adam exclaimed, walking over to Vanessa from outside, his tall built frame accentuated by the bright sun behind him. "I want a chance for a raise too," he smirked. Vanessa merely cocked an un-amused eyebrow at Adam, ignoring his innuendos.

Jesse merely looked to the ground and smiled, his hands finding their way into his pockets. Despite the appearance of two members of her team, Vanessa found her eyes searching for the rest.

"So, can I expect the rest of my team to be working as diligently as you Adam?" she asked, looking up to him.

"Actually, you can't, your highness. For they are out in the field as we speak," Adam stated triumphantly. Jesse nodded.

"Yeah, they're out at the lab, in the park," Jesse confirmed, looking to Adam and then back to Vanessa.

Vanessa allowed her eyes to remain half-lidded, her eyes darting from Adam to Jesse.

"And the two of you have failed to join them because?" she asked, an expectant quality in her voice. Adam looked to his drink and then back to Vanessa.

"Well, you know, had to make sure you had a welcoming party upon your arrival. We thought about hiring some strippers to make you feel even more at home, but it regrettably wasn't in the budget," Adam explained, gesturing with his drink in his hand. Vanessa merely stared at Adam and then allowed her eyes to drift over to Jesse for a more viable explanation.

"We've already been to the lab. We set some of it up, and Gabe and Stephen are finishing up the rest," he explained calmly, referring to the missing two members of the team.

"Good," Vanessa replied shortly. At least some work had been done while she was away. She took another look around the expansive living room. "So, I'm assuming all you guys have claimed this cabin for yourselves?" she asked, another expectant look on her face. Adam looked perturbed to his side.

"Yeah. I tried to horn in on that cabin over there, but Jesse convinced me to stay. But of course he would, because I _am_ the life of every party," he replied, smiling widely. Jesse only smiled.

"I was saving his life. I knew you'd kill anyone who decided to set up camp in your cabin," Jesse explained, looking to Adam.

Adam looked over at Jesse, squinting his eyes.

"Oh come on, I'm not afraid of her," Adam defended. Vanessa raised a brow and allowed her eyes to stare down Adam. Jesse stood and allowed his eyes to dart between Vanessa and Adam.

"You know I can fire you, right?" Vanessa immediately countered. She knew Adam was only trying to "fan out his feathers," in a manner of speaking, but if he knew what was good for him, he would recognize her authority.

Adam adjusted his stance, his drink still in hand, and looked to the floor.

"Well, you know, when I say not afraid, what I really mean is," he started, but suddenly cocked his head to the side and slightly leaned forward. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you look today?"

A wry smile appeared on Vanessa's face, raising her eyebrows.

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought," she smiled, knowing she'd won this fight. She gave Jesse a knowing glance and slowly turned to make her way out of the boys' cabin and over to hers, Adam's voice trailing behind her.

"The way the midday sun hits your hair," she heard him going on as she exited the already open deck door. With her duffle bag still in hand, she enjoyed the clear mountain air, the sun brilliantly shining down on her as she made her way across the deck to the door leading into her cabin.

Once she entered, she noticed the same architecture as the men's cabin, her cabin a mirror image of theirs. Both cabins were already outfitted with furniture, pictures and knickknacks which resembled the American West and mountain culture. She couldn't help but smile, enjoying the rich colors of the cabin and its rustic furnishings. As she looked around, she spotted a rather large pile of her suitcases, moving boxes, and duffle bags set on the floor of the living room. Evidently her boys knew which side their bread was buttered on, and were kind enough to bring her belongings over. She was thankful they had all decided to reside in one cabin. Not that she minded roommates, but at least she knew she would have some privacy. They could throw rowdy parties on their own time.

Deciding she should settle in, she grabbed a suitcase along with her duffle bag and made her way up the stairs to the left of the living room and up to the loft toward the master bedroom. Admittedly, both houses were a bit much for her and her team, capable of housing five people each. For the men, that was fine, but it left Vanessa with an empty house and a bunch of rooms. But, at least she had her pick of rooms and nobody to fight over them with.

Once up to the loft, which offered an even better view of the scenery below, as well as another spacious place to relax, just off the loft was the master bedroom. Vanessa walked in, placing her suitcase and duffle bag on the four poster bed. The room was definitely large – possibly the largest bedroom in the house. Vanessa smiled when she noted a bathroom attached to her room, which from her angle appeared almost as spacious as the bedroom. The bedroom echoed the same theme as the rest of the house, Native American artifacts hanging on the walls and decorating the dresser. Vanessa allowed the tension in her back relax as she walked over to the large windows to overlook the landscape below. Breathtaking landscapes were nothing Vanessa was foreign to in her profession. She had seen dozens of beautiful canyons, tall waterfalls, and graceful mountains, but despite all she had seen, she still enjoyed the splendor nature had to offer. She felt some excitement as she realized that as her eyes wandered the landscape, they were falling upon a place she had longed to return to her entire life.

Yellowstone National Park was a place Vanessa had visited once as a young girl, when her parents had taken her on a family vacation. Even from a young age, she realized she was hooked by its beauty and mystery. She was captivated by the wildlife, the scenery, but also with how odd of a landscape it truly was. It was a point of fascination, especially as she got older and made a career in geology. She had dreamed of being able to study in Yellowstone, unsure if the opportunity would ever present itself. But low and behold that very opportunity was upon her, and she would no longer need to dream, because she was here, and what she was experiencing was very real. She took another breath and turned toward her bed, making her way to unpack the rest of her belongings.

After a few more trips up and down the stairs, lugging heavy suitcases and boxes around the cabin, Vanessa had most of her things unpacked in about an hour and a half. It was more time than she wanted to spend on her things, but she hated having to deal with it at the end of her day. She also found time to call her Dad, like she had promised. She decided she would call her Mom later. She had visited her mother before she had left in same manner she had visited her Dad. Vanessa's parents were divorced, having divorced when Vanessa was 12. Her mother was now happily remarried and living a comfortable life with her new husband. Vanessa wished her father would find the same happiness, but with his personality, she could see why things didn't work out with her mother.

Taking another look around her cabin, and mostly satisfied with the order of things, she grabbed her keys and sunglasses, making her way downstairs and back out into the Wyoming sun. As she crossed the deck, she spotted both Jesse and Adam relaxing in the sun, Jesse sitting at a table and Adam on a chez. Vanessa walked over to Adam's chez and leaned upon the back.

"What's up boss?" Adam asked, looking up at her. Vanessa looked over to Jesse and then down to Adam.

"Oh, I don't know. I was just thinkin,' that just maybe we should take a trip on down to the park. You know, do our jobs or something," she started, shrugging as though it was a suggestion that didn't really matter.

"But Mom, do we have to?" Adam asked in a whiny voice. Vanessa looked down to Adam, leaning over a little more.

"Yes, and if you're really good, Mommy might just get you some candy," she answered. Adam's face lit up.

"Adult candy?" he asked a little too excited. Jesse smiled, and briefly looked to the side.

"Only if you promise to keep your hands in the cart the entire time," she continued. Adam's face dropped a little.

"Aww, that's no fun," he replied, looking away from Vanessa. Finally she dropped the act and lightly smacked Adam's shoulder.

"Come on guys, let's go and join the rest of the team," she stated a little more seriously, standing up and making her way between the cabins and down the stairs leading to the driveway below. Vanessa mounted her bike, while the other two strapped into Jesse's white Dodge Ram. As she turned on the ignition, she attached a Bluetooth to her ear. It was a tool provided by the university to help the scientists keep in better touch with each other, and fed directly into the walkie system in their trucks. "Hope you guys can keep up," Vanessa's voice sounded over the walkie radio in Jesse's truck. Jesse turned on his ignition and grabbed the receiver of his own.

"Roger that," he smiled, setting the receiver back in its holder. Adam watched as she mischievously looked back at them and then revved her engine, speeding down the driveway.

"Ha, and I hope she knows where she's going. Why is she leading the way?" he asked.

Jesse merely smiled and cocked his head.

"Because she's the boss," he answered, shifting gears and allowing his foot to press the accelerator and follow Vanessa in her wake.

It only took about a half hour to arrive to the northeastern entrance to Yellowstone Park proper as Vanessa was greeted by park authorities stationed there. She had already arranged clearance in and out of the park ahead of time, displaying her USGS badge she had fastened to her belt. She should have had it attached to her coat, like most normal scientists, but Vanessa hated normal. It was far more fun to dare to be different. After verifying her clearance, the rangers easily allowed her, Jesse and Adam to pass and they continued on to the interior of the park.

Vanessa smiled as she felt her senses sharpen upon her entrance to the park. Even though Vanessa was still about 20 miles from the caldera rim, her senses were picking up on the activity within the park. It was beautiful and picturesque above the ground, between the mountains, mesmerizing waterfalls, rich forests and expansive plains, but underneath the ground was a far different story. As she sped around a turn, this was made evident as she passed a rather large pool of boiling spring water, steam rising high into the air. Her eyes were momentarily drawn to the pool, and distracted by the sight, she registered Jesse's white truck passing her up on her left, momentarily obscuring her view of the boiling pool.

"Careful there boss. Wouldn't want you to speed into that," she heard Adam say into her earpiece. She could tell he had a triumphant smile on his face. He might not have been driving, but she guessed he goaded Jesse into passing her. Even though she could be angry, instead, she revved her engine increasing her speed and approaching Jesse's truck.

She was about to pass him up, but there was oncoming traffic, impeding her way. She slowed down, as not to alarm the oncoming drivers - tourists no doubt. But unfortunately, her patience was wearing thin and she wasn't about to let Adam and Jesse beat her to their destination. Revving her engine, she looked to her right, finding what looked like a small trail among the forest trees lining the road. Knowing that what she was about to do was all kinds of illegal, she revved her engine and aimed her motorcycle toward the trail, her long hair whipping wildly behind her. Adam spotted her in the passenger mirror, and saw her disappear off it and come into view, only to weave into the trees and onto the trail.

"Oh boy," Jesse commented, also noticing his colleague's course of action. As she followed the trail, it began to incline in relation to the road, forcing Adam to look up as he watched Vanessa. "I told you we shouldn't have passed her," Jesse commented, hearing her bike engine revving above his truck.

"Jesse, if I told you to drive off a bridge, would you do it?" Adam asked, his eyes darting from the road to Vanessa. "You're as guilty of this as I am." Jesse allowed a small laugh escape him and kept his eyes on the road and Vanessa in the trees paralleling them.

As Vanessa roared along, she started to gain ground ahead of Jesse's truck via the trail, but she knew she'd have to get off the trail soon. If a ranger caught her, she'd definitely be toast. She wasn't necessarily afraid of the law – it just slowed things down so much. Unfortunately, the trail maintained its course above the road, as Vanessa maneuvered among the large pines along the trail. Knowing she needed to get off the trail, she looked ahead and spotted a clear section where she could connect with the road again. Pushing the accelerator she sped up, now well ahead of Jesse's truck. When she reached the edge of the trail, she punched the engine, her bike slightly lifting off the ground only to smoothly connect with the grass and then gravel next to the road. Upon her impact she left a cloud of dirt behind her, Jesse's truck punching through it after they were once again left behind in Vanessa's dust.

"She's nuts," Adam commented. Jesse laughed once again, relaxing into his seat, one hand on the steering wheel, shaking his head.

"That's Vanessa," he affirmed, knowing it simply wouldn't be her if she ceased those kinds of antics otherwise.

With a rather uneventful remainder of the drive, and Jesse and Adam convinced they shouldn't make the same mistake twice, the trio finally entered the vicinity of the Old Faithful Visitors and Education Center. Vanessa caught a glimpse of the iconic Old Faithful geyser, a large crowd surrounding its perimeter and admiring its beauty. Vanessa couldn't help but admit she was one amongst that crowd, as she too watched it briefly before turning off her engine. Jesse and Adam started walking toward Vanessa. Vanessa had a smug smile on her face as they approached her.

"Ok, ok, you rule, we suck. Point taken," Adam stated, admitting some defeat.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. You passed me once. That'll give you some kind of street cred," she replied, maintaining her smug smile. The trio started walking into the visitor center.

"Yeah, yeah," Adam said, still dissatisfied he couldn't top his boss at least once. As they entered the large glass doors of the center, Vanessa allowed Jesse and Adam to lead the way, since they knew where they were going better than she did. The center was bustling with people and tourists, as they educated themselves about the park and its geologic features. She could hear snippets of tour guides and park rangers giving groups of people lectures about the park and its history. It made her smile, remembering listening to those same lectures so long ago when she had visited as a young girl. The same young girl in her felt giddy about the fact that she was back again, here to study as a professional.

Walking through the expanse of the center, Jesse approached a door toward the back of the building and swiped his ID badge, opening the door and holding it for both Vanessa and Adam. Vanessa nodded in thanks to Jesse and the trio made its way down a hallway with windows on either side, offering a nice view of the park. Following the hallway, Jesse then opened another door which lead to an expansive building that branched off of the main structure. From what Vanessa could tell, the building was almost circular in structure, perhaps more hexagonal, and several stories high. As with the same theme of the visitor center, this building was open and airy, with many windows looking out to the park. The room of which the trio had entered was at least two stories high, sectioned off at the front with partitions similar to office cubicles. As Vanessa entered and passed the cubicles, she came upon sturdier tables which were like the lab tables in the lecture halls back in the university. Looking up she saw shelves, displaying various geologic models of volcanoes, geysers, and ball and stick models of molecules and minerals, defining the room from the more public visitor center they had entered. As Vanessa took in the room, she heard steps from above her, and looked to see three men making their way down a set of stairs that lined one side of the room.

"As you can see, we're still setting everything up, but we should have everything up and running within a few days," Vanessa heard another familiar voice explaining. "Oh hey!" His voice brightened at seeing his other team members.

"Hey Gabe. Hey Stephen," Vanessa greeted, as they both walked over and gave her a welcome hug.

"How was your trip here?" Gabe asked, his blue eyes wide and blonde curly hair practically bouncing from his excitement.

"Well, the trip here from the cabin was exciting," she admitted smugly. "But you can blame your other two colleagues for that." Adam smiled wryly in Vanessa's direction. Vanessa ignored Adam and turned her attention to the man who Gabe had been speaking with. Gabe took the initiative first.

"Oh Vanessa, this is Dr. Harold Lowens. He is the Scientist In Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory," Gabe introduced, as the middle aged man extended his hand toward Vanessa. Vanessa grabbed his hand strongly.

"Ah, Dr. Lowens, so nice to finally meet you in person," Vanessa greeted.

"Likewise, Dr. House," he replied, nodding and shaking Vanessa's hand.

"Vanessa, please," she corrected. Jesse looked to Gabe and raised his eyebrows and then back to Vanessa and Dr. Lowens.

"I've heard a lot about you and your work," Dr. Lowens started, putting his hands in the pockets of his khaki vest. "I'm honored to have you and your team working in our park."

"Well, thank you for asking us out here," Vanessa replied genuinely. "It's very generous of you allowing us to use this facility as our lab," Vanessa added, gesturing to the building they were in.

"It's our pleasure. I hope it will do nicely for you," he smiled.

"Stephen and I were just showing Dr. Lowens our equipment. We haven't gotten everything set up yet, but we're definitely getting there," Gabe explained, looking briefly to Stephen, who shyly stood next to him.

"Yes, and you've got extremely nice equipment. I have to say I'm a little jealous," Dr. Lowens admitted.

Adam leaned close to Jesse. "If he thinks this equipment is nice, wait until he sees what our _other_ equipment can do," he said under his breath. Vanessa merely turned toward him and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes, the university is very generous. We're very lucky," Vanessa said, although not as nicely as she would have liked.

Dr. Lowens looked around at Vanessa's team.

"And, you appear to have a very capable team on your hands. I'm looking forward to working with all of you," he stated, a warm smile on his face.

"Capable with science, yes," Vanessa started. She turned toward Adam. "Behaving themselves – not so much."

"Why are you looking at me?" Adam asked, an incredulous look on his face. Dr. Lowens merely laughed.

"Brace yourself Dr. Lowens. We're a little – unconventional. Hope you don't have a problem with that," she replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, if I had wanted conventional scientists, I don't think I would have asked you and your team out here," Dr. Lowens responded, somewhat seriously. He looked around at the team again. "Because what you'll be studying out here is far from conventional," he admitted.

"Sounds like our specialty boss," Jesse stated in Vanessa's direction.

"I told you it would be a fun ride," Vanessa responded, smiling at Jesse.

Dr. Lowens looked around at the team once more and then to Vanessa.

"Well, I better leave you all to settle in. Thank you again Drs. Hoffsteader and Croft, for your tour earlier," Dr. Lowens started, referencing Gabe and Stephen. He looked to Vanessa. "I hope to meet with you sometime in the next few days or so to discuss what our research has revealed about the park. Perhaps then we can discuss expeditions across the park for your team," Dr. Lowens continued.

Vanessa looked around to her team and then back to Dr. Lowens.

"Sounds good to me," she replied assuredly, slightly nodding her head.

Dr. Lowens nodded his head in response.

"Have a good day Drs. And again, welcome to Yellowstone," he smiled, extending his hand to Vanessa once more. She grasped it firmly.

"Thank you," she responded, a strong smile on her face. He nodded once more, letting go of her hand and exiting through the door where Vanessa had entered, and back out to the VisitorCenter.

About 3 hours later Vanessa and her team had nearly everything set up in the lab. From lab equipment to supplies, microscopes and their makeshift offices, they had everything setup to help them analyze the data they were hoping to collect over their time in the park. One of the coolest features they had was in the floor above them. It was a holographic display of the park, which would help them map out the activity both above and underground. It was a special tool the university had provided with hopes it would aid the geologists in their tests and measurements. Most of all, it provided an excellent way to visualize the activity of the park.

Coming down the stairs after booting up the holographic computer to make sure all the bugs had been worked out, Vanessa walked down to join the rest of her team.

"Isn't that thing sweet?" Gabe asked Vanessa, in reference to the super computer.

"When it learns to do my laundry and taxes, then it'll be sweet," Vanessa replied.

"Oh come on, you're not the least bit impressed?" Gabe asked.

"Eh," Vanessa replied, shrugging and looking at her nails. The computer was amazing, by technological standards. But Vanessa didn't require such technology to aid her in her experiments. She had a very different means of acquiring information.

Suddenly she clapped her hands together and looked excitedly at her team.

"So, how about we say it's quittin' time and have a nice dinner at the Old Faithful Inn to celebrate our first night together in Yellowstone? My treat," Vanessa offered. Her team had worked hard enough, and she was excited to be out here finally in the field. Adam looked to Gabe beside him.

"Hey, if she's buying," he said, shrugging.

"That's the spirit," she smiled. "Come on, let's close shop and get a bite to eat," she continued, waving them along with her. The rest of her team appeared to agree and after shutting down their computers and turning off the lights, they were on their way back out of the Visitor's Center and on down the road toward the large rustic building that was the Old Faithful Inn.

The dinner proved to be just the thing to hit the spot after a long day for everyone. With their bellies full and satisfied the team made their way out of the inn and on back to the Visitor Center parking lot. Their shadows were long on the pavement as they walked, the sun on its way down toward the horizon, the blue sky turning dusky blue in wake of the suns descent.

"Remind me to have you pay for dinner more often," Adam commented, stretching as he walked down the side of the road.

"You're welcome Adam," Vanessa responded, unenthused.

"He's right though. Thank you for dinner Vanessa," Gabe chimed in sincerely.

"Eh, I guess you guys are worth it," Vanessa replied, playing along with her team.

Once at the parking lot, Jesse volunteered to go back into the lab to double check everything had been shut down and locked. Gabe and Stephen loaded into Gabe's dark blue Dodge Durango, Adam piling in with them for a ride back. Gabe waved to Vanessa out his window as he turned out of the parking lot and out onto the road to make his way out of the park. Vanessa waved back, and slowly made her way to her bike. She inhaled, the fresh smell of the wilderness invading her system. Opening her eyes she caught a glimpse of Old Faithful, its most current eruption just ending, the hot water slowly retreating back into the earth. Plumes of steam continued to flow out of the geyser into the air and floating with the wind. As Vanessa watched the water retreat, she allowed herself to relax, her subconscious taking over.

As the water fell back into the earth, she found the all the elements of the park taking hold of her, as if she were in tune with their frequencies. She was immersed in the activity of the park, and found herself following the water of Old Faithful, in its descent to the reservoir it called home. She felt the heat and the moisture, both increasing as her minds eye made its way through the crevices within the rock. She saw the constrictions and the openings in the chimney leading down to the reservoir. Right now the reservoir had significantly less water, as the geyser had just erupted, but it would only take another 90 minutes and the water display would start over again. The reservoir was massive, easily big enough for a few good size cars to fit comfortably in. Vanessa felt her senses delve deeper, following the flow of water, down further into the earth. She could feel the heat intensify, as she passed the water table and forced herself to continue on down into the crust. She was travelling back in time, each layer of rock getting older in her descent. But suddenly, within the deep layers of Rhyolite, five miles below the earth's surface, she found herself face to face with the beast that fueled Yellowstone.

She scanned the mammoth chamber, her senses engulfing it. She felt the incredibly intense heat. She saw the magma roiling and bright red, as if a big cauldron. She saw the stalactites of cooler rock the magma had not managed to melt yet, but she knew soon enough they too would be overcome by the heat and melt with the rest of the magma. Her senses wrapped themselves around the immensity of the chamber, spanning 30 miles long, 25 miles wide and 10 miles down. It was by far one of the most massive of magma chambers she had ever come across. Scanning the chamber, she was struck by the fact that this chamber might be millions of years old, but it truly was a source of rebirth. Old rock being melted by the intense heat, only to be born into new fertile rock for the surface like a phoenix from the ashes. It was an amazing process which Vanessa admired greatly. She felt the thick magma, as it reached out, finding crevices of which it could utilize to expand even further through the park, but the chamber was holding its ground. Her brow wrinkled as she owed some of her own strength and ability to fortify the rock surrounding the chamber. She felt herself manipulating the crystals and the minerals, urging them to transform into stronger minerals – anything to keep the magma in its place.

But despite her efforts, the strength of the enormous chamber sought to overpower her. It was a chamber well tested by time, and almost as if it had a personality of its own, fought against Vanessa's efforts. She could almost swear she heard it growl as if to warn her away. Vanessa felt herself and her senses slightly retreat, realizing that what she was up against was certainly going to provide an immense challenge. But suddenly, she felt herself retreat quickly, away from the chamber, through the hundreds of layers of rock and the cooler air of the surface approaching her fast. As she connected with herself once more, the cool air an oasis compared to the chamber, she heard the voice which had called her back.

"Everything ok boss?" Jesse asked, his rich blue eyes staring over at her with concern. Vanessa blinked and took a breath. She kept her eyes on the site of Old Faithful, the effects of her journey lingering in her consciousness. She slightly shook her head as if to clear it.

"Sorry. Fun times - being a mutant," Vanessa responded, looking over to Jesse next to her. He slightly smiled.

"I figured as much," he commented, all too familiar with Vanessa's gifts. He looked to her and then to Old Faithful. "So, do we have anything to worry about?" he asked calmly.

"In a manner of speaking," Vanessa replied seriously. Jesse continued to look on.

"Do you think your being a mutant will be a problem?" Jesse asked.

"I'm fairly certain it's the reason we were asked out here," Vanessa answered. "As long as our Yellowstone colleagues aren't prejudiced," she added, nodding her head. Her eyes went over to Jesse.

"They'd be stupid if they were," Jesse answered, looking to Vanessa. Vanessa lightly shrugged and looked back out to Old Faithful.

"I'm used to it," she started. "Life's more interesting when you're a freak anyway," she added, lifting her head slightly, a small smile on her face. She knew that being branded a mutant meant you were automatically an outcast. Mutants were a population of people born with supernatural ability and given Vanessa's very specific geologic and environmental senses, she was categorized in that group. Mutants were a relatively new phenomenon in the human race, with more arising every day. Yet there were still few enough that they were considered a minority. Groups like the X-men helped to provide a "friendlier" image for mutants. But despite their efforts to protect humanity and mutantkind alike, the majority of humanity still considered mutants a threat. Having studied at the Xavier Institute, the very institute where the X-men originated, Vanessa was taught the importance of the coexistence of mutants and humans alike. They also taught Vanessa to be proud of her mutation. She couldn't say she always had the best time accepting what she was. It certainly affected her family in the past and her childhood. But as she got older, she came to accept her gifts and abilities, and she also learned how to use them to her advantage. This was her reality and her life, and no matter what she was, she was the one to live it – not anyone else.

With the way the world was changing Vanessa often thought that perhaps her mutation wasn't the worst thing in the world. She had grown up in the Xavier Institute where she was surrounded and taught by other mutants like herself, and when groups like the Avengers and their crew showed up, Vanessa felt a bit more prepared to handle trouble should it come her way. The world was changing so quickly, and perhaps mutation was the answer in order to keep up. She couldn't be totally sure if that was the real reason mutants existed, but it was her best theory. Given her most current future endeavors, she knew her mutation would certainly come in handy. She knew she was going to need every ounce of strength and advantage for this expedition.

"Well, I'm glad you're out here," Jesse commented, looking over to Vanessa. Vanessa gave him an incredulous look.

"What did I tell you about selling yourself short?" she asked, lightening the mood. Jesse laughed, and briefly looked to the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he responded.

"Don't worry. We'll show this volcano whose boss," Vanessa smiled and winked to Jesse.

"You think so?" Jesse asked.

"Well, we better. Otherwise, we've got problems," Vanessa stated bluntly. Jesse merely looked at her, his eye half lidded and one eyebrow raised. "Come on, you know those other guys are throwing a party, but it can't be a party if the two coolest people haven't shown up yet," Vanessa joked. "Let's get back there and crash it," she smiled mischievously. Jesse nodded and turned to walk back to his truck.

"Whatever you say boss," he stated as they walked. Vanessa mounted her bike and started her engine. She took one last look out at the park, unsure of what the future would hold for her and her team, but no matter what it might be, she knew she'd just have to roll with it. Revving her engine, she sped out onto the main road, Jesse following behind her and they made their way out of the park.

*Author's Note: Sorry about the wait guys! Thank you for holding on! You truly are the best! And I promise, Loki is coming! He's still careening through space. XD


	7. Chapter 7

Vanessa stared out to the expansive Lamar Valley, surveying the grass as it blew gracefully in the light spring breeze. The sun shone brightly over head, a few stray clouds obscuring the light now and again. Vanessa looked down to her GPS, noting her latitude and longitude and included a note of her elevation. Jotting down the last few numbers, her attention was broken as she heard a faint rumbling in the distance. At first her mind went to earthquake, but instead her eyes fell upon a herd of elk, making their way across the valley. They were on their way to find better pasture to graze no doubt. She was momentarily mesmerized, watching the herd move as one, banding together to make their way safely to their destination. And they had good reason to band together, for Yellowstone not only was elk country, but it was also wolf and bear country. Even Vanessa had to be wary of the wildlife around here. As much as she enjoyed the closeness with nature she had, she also knew of its power and knew well to respect it. She pressed on, walking another 200 feet, to begin the process of cataloging the latitude, longitude, and elevation again.

Nearly a month had passed since Vanessa and her team had arrived in Yellowstone. In that time, they had already been on numerous expeditions within the park. Vanessa had a chance to meet with Dr. Lowens and discuss his research and concerns about the park. He detailed what he wanted for Vanessa's team to research first, including gases emitted from the ground, seismic activity across the park, and any changes in the topography, to name a few. Many of the expeditions were long term research, in order to monitor the changes of the volcano beneath their feet, and Vanessa knew her team was more than equipped to handle it.

Vanessa herself was getting used to the effects of the volcano and the park. Being in such close proximity to it was like standing directly next to a radio tower, the signal strong, loud, and completely overpowering. She was finding it hard to tune out everything she sensed about the park, and this especially applied to the volcano. This experience was nothing new to her, having had to learn how to tune out the noise of nature and its frequencies from when she was young. But with something so massive and powerful, there was no wonder there were nights she simply could not fall asleep. She could hear the magma, constantly heating up and cooling down, causing the rock around it to crack and shudder. She felt the earthquakes, typical in the park year round, but nearly undetectable by humans. Her abilities could focus on tiny things, like sensing the growth of foliage or the trample of animals throughout the park. But most overpowering were the rocks beneath her feet. She knew over time, and with some training on her part, eventually she would get a grip on things, but right now all she could do was adjust.

Despite her personal adjustments, her team had appeared to adjust relatively nicely to the park and the living situations. There were a few tousles over the rooms amongst the men. Evidently they hadn't quite ironed out who went where and Vanessa was forced to settle some arguments between them – especially when she could hear the yelling from their cabin when she was inside hers. Sure, she had the windows open, but it was getting ridiculous. It took some work, and some threats of employment on Vanessa's part, but eventually the guys finally got situated and comfortable. Vanessa nearly concluded that she didn't need to have children, for her team sufficed just fine.

The lab had been completely set up in the time the team had been there as well. It was nice to settle in and have a comfortable place to work. They had already compiled a good amount of data from their few expeditions and were excited to compare it to Dr. Lowens data and see what conclusions they could come to. They were already planning other expeditions and right now Vanessa found herself facing a topographic mapping of an area in the northern portion of the park. It was an area known as the Lamar Valley, an incredibly biologically diverse area of the park. It was actually referred to as America's Serengeti, as it was home to animals like the sturdy bison, elk, and wolves that inhabited Yellowstone. They were all mesmerizing animals and Vanessa loved the fact she was able to study nature among them.

As Vanessa plotted the last point on her map and jotted down the last measurement in her survey, she took another look around. She had managed to travel across the expanse of the valley, which was a great distance from her camp in the higher elevations surrounding the valley. Vanessa had spent the last three days out here, cataloging the topography of the region, making her way through the valley. She had a few more days to spend out here, but today she decided to call it quits. Another successful day under her belt. She slung one strap of her backpack off her shoulder and stashed her clipboard and GPS back into it. After zipping it up, she adjusted it on her back, and took in a breath, hiking her way back to her truck on the other side of the valley.

After a 20 minute off road drive back to her campsite, Vanessa was safely tucked away in the higher elevations above the valley. Or so she thought. As she unloaded her truck, movement in her periphery caught her attention. She turned to look to her left and caught a pack of wolves making their way through the trees, heading toward the valley below. They were quite a good distance away from Vanessa's camp site, cautious of her in the same way she was cautious of them. But Vanessa wasn't alarmed by their presence. In fact, their presence was something Vanessa was getting used to by now. After all, wolves were quite numerous within Yellowstone. It was a pack she had seen before, headed by a large grey male. In the few expeditions she and her team had been on, this pack had made a few appearances. Evidently their territory was quite large, and perhaps they were curious of these new humans studying their terrain.

Despite the fact that Vanessa should have felt threatened by these wolves, she couldn't help but feel a sense of calm, watching them in the distance. As she watched them head down into the valley, she caught the grey alpha male, as he made his way to the end of the pack and stopped. She slightly tilted her head, watching him as he stood alert, surveying the nature around him and watching his pack protectively. Vanessa could see why he was the head of the group. As a last few wolves trotted past him, he turned his head toward Vanessa and her campsite. For a moment the two locked eyes, his bright yellow ones connecting with Vanessa's set of blues. He did nothing more than watch her and Vanessa merely stared back, watching him just as intently. Suddenly though, Vanessa noticed his right ear move in the direction his pack had gone, evidently monitoring their progress down into the valley, and he broke his gaze with Vanessa and continued to follow them.

It was an odd occurrence, for Vanessa had not been this close to the pack nor watched this closely by them. If anything, the pack would ignore Vanessa and her team and allow them to go on with their business in the park. Yet this was different. It felt more purposeful, as though this male was keeping an eye upon Vanessa. Watching him disappear down into the valley Vanessa blinked, attempting to clear her mind. But despite her attempts to recalibrate, she had to admit, this wolf wasn't the only strange occurrence she had encountered. For the past few days Vanessa couldn't help but pick up nor shake energies in the air. She knew she felt signatures that she couldn't identify, but they were signatures she had felt ever since she arrived at this location in the park. Placing her paperwork on a chair she had set up at the edge of her fire pit, she decided to clear her mind and get a fire going. Grabbing some logs she placed them in the pit and quickly started a fire. Satisfied she had a source of heat, she looked out to the valley below in the distance, long shadows cast by the trees as the sun was making its way down to the horizon. Dusk would be upon her soon. Taking a moment to adjust the fire and making sure it was well contained, Vanessa decided to retreat into her tent and rest for a bit. She felt drained from her day out in the field and perhaps some relaxation would help to clear her mind even more. Walking over to her tent, she ducked inside and laid down, lightly closing her eyes, the sounds of the late afternoon birds and light breeze easing her into a calm and peaceful state.

A few hours later Vanessa walked out of her tent, stretching as she adjusted to the cool Yellowstone air. The fire she had going was starting to fade, and with the waning light, she knew she'd need to adjust the flames. She glanced over to see how her wood supply was doing, and seeing how small the pile was, she knew she'd need to gather some more before nightfall. Luckily enough she was smart to pack some pre-cut logs in her CR-V, so she didn't need to go far. As she started toward her truck, she noted how charged the evening air felt. She had felt this extra feeling of energy ever since she arrived at this spot three days ago, every day feeling more energetic than the one before. Now it felt at a peak level. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, but she knew it had nothing to do with the sleeping volcano below her feet. It was something different. It was an excited feeling, pushing an energy through the atmosphere that charged everything up.

She opened the door of her trunk and grabbed as much firewood as she could carry. She didn't bother to ask anyone to come on this little trip with her. It was a small assignment she knew she could handle. Gabe pressed her to have him come along, mainly to help with the research, documentation, and general camping duties. But Vanessa made it clear to him that she was more than capable of handling things by herself. She was appreciative of Gabe's offer, but at times, even she had to admit that she just needed to get away from things for a bit, and this was the perfect opportunity.

After placing the firewood down close to the fire, Vanessa made her way to the side of the fire and knelt down. She placed a few pieces onto the glowing embers and lowered her eyes to the dying coals. Drawing from the already charged atmosphere, she stared into the embers, as a flash of golden orange flitted across her eyes. She felt the energy in her build, a warmth and heat that filled her, flowing through her being and making its way to the charged particles of the air and ground. As she pushed the energy to build, slowly, the glowing embers began to brighten. Small flames started to lick the new logs placed on the fire, and within a few more seconds grew large enough to engulf the new wood. Vanessa allowed the warmth and energy flow through her for a bit longer until she was satisfied with the intensity of the fire. After reaching an intensity to her satisfaction, Vanessa blinked and allowed herself to disengage with the fire element she had been manipulating. There were so many elements at work in Yellowstone. Sometimes her mutant abilities found it hard to filter through what she needed to work, let alone concentrate. But with all of the practice she had with it over her life, she knew how to draw exactly from what she needed.

Finally satisfied Vanessa got up and found her way to one of the camping chairs and grabbed a bottle of beer and some of her charts and documentation of her earlier taken measurements. She glanced over her notes, the flickering light from the fire bouncing off her campsite. The sky still had some light in it in the west, but was an otherwise dusky blue. The air was crisp and clear, but comfortable. Crickets and frogs had already started their nighttime symphony and Vanessa smiled at their song. Even the distant howling wolf could be heard, charging the night even more.

Vanessa took a sip from her beer as she took a pen attached to the clipboard with her notes and made a slight adjustment, when she suddenly stopped mid decimal point. The air had been relatively still this evening. But Vanessa felt a disturbance in the air. It was a wind, which hadn't even reached ground level yet, but she felt it. The pressure in the air was changing, but she could sense it was not of a natural origin. She felt her senses sharpen, locking onto every element she could. All sound, smell, and feeling was intense and now part of a vibrant tapestry around her.

She found her eyes drifting upward and to the southwestern sky. Through the clearing in the trees she saw something peculiar in the atmosphere. Not only was she seeing this disturbance, but every fiber in her being could feel it. The otherwise cloudless evening was very quickly forming clouds, but they looked unlike anything Vanessa had ever seen. She stood up to get a better look. As she stared to the sky, her face was illuminated with a light which began to emanate from the disturbance. It was a light reminiscent of an aurora borealis, but Vanessa was unaware of such an atmospheric disturbance like that reaching this far south. Plus, she could sense no extra particles coming from the sun which would cause an aurora borealis. No. This was definitely something different.

As she watched, she noted that through the now numerous clouds, linear designs began to appear with the light, dancing and shifting in a ghostly fashion in the sky. Vanessa felt the energy in the air pressing upon her, and sensed it emanating from the point she was watching in the sky. As she allowed her senses to be engulfed by the energy, she suddenly threw her arms up to shield her eyes as a pillar of bright multicolored light shot down from the dancing colors in the sky. She braced herself as she felt the ground shake from the impact. The pillar of light pressed itself into the Earth, slowly rotating like a vibrant tornado. It illuminated the pines and mountains in the distance, twisting in an almost slow motion. It lasted for a few seconds longer, only to suddenly disappear as soon as it had occurred.

Some residual light remained in the sky, and the linear designs began to fade as the clouds created by the disturbance started to disperse. Even though Vanessa was looking up at the sky and the fading light show, she found herself looking toward the direction of where the pillar of light had landed. She knew this was no ordinary occurrence, and like a moth to a flame found herself wondering what had just happened over there. The energy she had felt in the air earlier was no longer as pressing as it had been, apparently utilized by the disturbance. But there was still an energy present, pulling her over to the site of impact. She allowed her senses to reach high levels in order to scan the land and environment. Not only was she concerned with what had just happened, but she also took a survey of the environment underground. She needed to make sure the impact didn't disturb the sleeping giant underneath her feet.

She knelt down and put her hand to the ground, physically feeling the energy flow through her. She sent out energy signatures to flow through the cracks and fissures of the Earth's crust and on down to the magma chamber below. She saw it in her mind. She felt the pressure. She felt the heat. She felt the movement. She felt her senses wrap themselves around the chamber and sweep over the rest of the park. As she scanned the environment, nothing appeared out of place. The levels seemed intact and otherwise stable. Yet the signatures she sent out started to pull her senses into one particular direction and point in the park, and she knew exactly why.

After assessing the most pressing elements of the park and making sure everything was safe, she allowed herself to slightly disengage with the overall energies of the park, but only to focus on the point where they pulled her the most. She slowly stood up from the ground and faced the area of impact from the pillar of light. She needed to get over there, and was compelled to figure out what had just happened. Grabbing her keys, she jumped into her car, turning on her auxiliary lights to travel off road over to the site.

The landing hurt. It hurt a lot more than Loki had remembered from the last time when travelling this way. Of course, last time he wasn't being forced out of life as he knew it. The last time, he chose it. He groaned as he watched the light in the sky slowly disappear, closing him off to his world. Still weak from the impact and from the draining of his power, he inhaled and let his head rest on the ground below him. Pain still coursed through him, having just been drained of his power and left virtually defenseless. He closed his eyes. He felt defeated. He was angry, but he knew this was coming. Of course they would take this stance. Why was it he always ended up being in the wrong? When would his time come to finally get what he wanted? He furrowed his brow at the thought. He never really got what he wanted. Somehow it always took a turn for the worse. He inhaled again. So what now?

Loki opened his eyes and saw the light in the sky now almost completely gone. He glared up to the sky, hoping those who sent him here could see his scowl. He hoped they were satisfied. But a thought suddenly occurred to him. This is what they wanted. They wanted to see his misery. And he was not about to give them that satisfaction. Loki sighed. Or perhaps they wanted something different for him. Ultimately, he felt damned no matter what they wanted.

He sighed again. He laid there for a moment, and closed his eyes. He listened to the environment around him. It was quiet, with the exception of night sounds. Maybe he would be lucky and some weird Earth creature would come along and kill him. It wasn't that he had a death wish, but he felt at a dead end. After waiting a few minutes, and realizing his wish wasn't about to come true, Loki opened his eyes and pushed himself up onto his side. He looked around.

It was dark, and he was in a clearing, surrounded by large pines – some of which had been knocked down by the impact. There was some distant light from the sun, but it was definitely below the horizon line, so he knew he wouldn't have much time for any remaining light. He stood up and rolled his head on his neck while he stretched his arms. He knew he would be sore tomorrow, but at least the pain from the extraction of his power had dissipated considerably. He hoped the stretching might help.

As Loki looked around, there wasn't much indication of the direction he should head. He took a moment to center himself and see if any sense would kick in and show him a way. But he was still weak, and just previously rendered powerless. He felt truly lost. He looked around once more, and finally decided to just start walking. Eventually he would find something resembling civilization. He looked to his right, and decided it was as good as a direction to head as any, and started walking.

**Author's Note: Woo Hoo! Loki has finally entered the building! Thank you so much for holding on guys. I really appreciate it! And thank you for your reviews and for the followers of my story! Please feel free to give feedback! I appreciate it more than you know. : )


	8. Chapter 8

Trying to drive off road in this part of the country was more than a challenge. Vanessa's truck was tough, but the terrain was tougher. Luckily enough she was a mutant who could manipulate the environment around her to suit her needs, but she didn't always like doing that. Sometimes it just upset the system a little too much for her taste. So she was doing her best to find a path to where she needed to go. Luckily enough for her, she found what looked like an abandoned wagon trail. It could have been a maintenance trail – this was a national park after all. But she was thankful for it nonetheless.

It took her about 25 minutes to get close enough to the site. As she got closer, she slowed down figuring it might be easier to see something going at a lower rate of speed than if she came charging in there. Although she had no clue what she was looking for. Through the trees she briefly saw a clearing, where the ground clearly looked disturbed. But the brush was proving hard to get over to it. She turned her car to the left, seeking a path, when her head lights swept over something. She stopped her car, and shifted into reverse, pointing her headlights back to what she had seen. Yet when she looked, whatever she had seen had vanished. She could have sworn she saw something that didn't fit the nature around her. She paused, waiting to see if anything would reveal itself to her, but nothing happened. She sighed, and slowly pressed the accelerator to continue over to the clearing.

Finally she made it through the trees to the clearing and drove over to the impact site. She noted how the ground had settled as she stopped her car and opened her door. She looked up to the sky, which by now was clear and left no indication anything had happened. After finding nothing above her, she found herself looking down, and noticed an odd circular pattern just in front of her car. She stepped closer to the pattern and knelt down, touching her hand to it. It was an intricate pattern that reminded her of Celtic knots, but it was less uniform. She felt a faint energy signature left behind, matching what she had felt before. This was clearly one source of the energy she felt in the air for the past few days. But as she scanned the area again with her senses, they pulled her in a direction back from where she came. She looked behind her to where her senses directed her, looking for what she was picking up, but she saw nothing. However, it wouldn't be hard to scan just a bit wider to find just what it was that was pulling the energy toward it. Looking once again at the pattern, she then stood up, and got back into her car. Time to let her intuition guide her.

He dodged the lights from the vehicle as soon as he saw them cutting their way through the trees. True, he was somewhat eager to find civilization, but evidently his entrance had attracted some attention. Loki allowed the lights to pass as he hid behind the trunk of a tree. They had stopped for a moment, indicating whoever was in the vehicle must have caught a glimpse of him. But soon after stopping, the lights moved on, the person inside the vehicle evidently giving up. As the vehicle ventured on, so did he, following a rough path in the woods. He rubbed the arm he had landed on as he walked. As he rubbed it, he caught a glimpse of the vehicle he had dodged, making its way out to where he had landed. He paused to turn and watch it through the trees. He saw it stop and a person get out, undoubtedly checking out what had happened. Even though he was curious to continue watching, he knew he needed to keep moving. So Loki turned once again and followed the path.

He walked for a while longer, allowing himself to adjust to the environment around him. It wasn't completely unlike anything he had seen at home, but something about this place did feel different. At certain points on the path he could see a bit more of the landscape in the distance, and noticed how rugged the terrain really was. It appeared to stretch on for hundreds of miles. One peculiar thing he noticed was plumes of what looked like smoke rising from various spots in the landscape. He wasn't sure if it was fire or something else, but it put him on a bit of an edge. Loki never really pegged Earth for being a volatile place, but perhaps his perceptions of Earth were very wrong. He knew from his last visit, the people of this planet certainly proved volatile enough to defeat him. He had underestimated their strength and was now paying the price – only to be sentenced among them. And now, they could do whatever they wanted to him and he truly was powerless to stop them.

As this thought crossed Loki's mind, he again saw the sweep of lights reflect on the trees ahead of him. They were coming from behind him. He looked back and saw the vehicle he had seen before winding its way down the path. He again dodged the lights, finding another tree to flatten himself against. He figured the vehicle would pass him up and he'd be left to his solitude once more. But to his dismay the vehicle slowed down once again. Loki was almost positive he hadn't been seen this time, so why were they stopping? He waited, the lights of the vehicle shining beyond him, illuminating the dark forest. As he was praying for the vehicle to move on, he cringed as he heard what sounded like a door opening and the crackle of leaves on the ground. He took a small glance toward his visitor, and saw it was a woman. She remained close to the vehicle, holding onto the open door and surveying the trees around her. Suddenly he saw her begin to look in his direction and he quickly pushed himself back behind the tree, out of her view.

Loki remained silent, refusing to move a muscle. He was more alert than scared, but hoped she would move on. He listened to the rumble of the idling engine of her vehicle, when he heard her shut it off, leaving the lights on. He then heard the door shut, and more rustling of leaves and breaking of twigs as she began to move. He strained his ears. He could swear she was moving in his direction. But how? He wasn't giving any sign of his presence that he was aware of. As he listened, he heard her steps get closer to him, and slow down. Finally they stopped.

Vanessa knew she sensed something in these woods. She wasn't a psychic mutant. As far as she knew, she had no psychic capabilities. But she sensed an energy signature that was unlike the rest of the environment, and it pulled her toward it. It felt alive, like another life force, and for some reason she picked up on it. She felt it very strongly just in front of her, but she was hesitant to look just beyond the point of where it was. She wasn't necessarily scared, but wasn't about to jump into something that might get messy. She was curious, but not an idiot.

She narrowed her eyes at the tree in front of her. She knew she picked up on something or someone just beyond it. But something told her to stop. Whatever or whoever was beyond that tree obviously didn't want to be found. She couldn't explain why she wasn't charging ahead with figuring this out, but something kept her from pressing forward. She took a breath, and decided to let things ride for the time being. Whatever the signature was, it didn't feel dangerous to her, so she didn't feel that turning her back on it would cause her to regret such an action. She started to walk back to her car and glanced back once more. But she briefly shook her head and got back into her car, turning on the ignition and hitting the gas. For some reason she found herself sending some of her strength to whomever or whatever it was that did not want to be found.

He let himself relax when he heard her retreat and return to her vehicle. Loki didn't know what made her stop, but he thanked whatever it was. His heart was still beating hard. He didn't know why his adrenaline was up so high, but this had been a weird day – to say the least. Perhaps it was starting to take a toll on him, and as he started to relax he noticed the fatigue catching up to him. But now was not the time for rest. He felt compelled to move on. So when the vehicle was only a faint rumble in the distance, he found his way back to the path, and soldiered on.

Loki walked for another hour and a half, becoming more tired with each step. But he pushed himself onward. He didn't know what he was looking for but apparently he hadn't found it yet. As he took a few more steps forward he smelled smoke, with a hint of what smelled like food cooking over a flame. It smelled delicious and was beckoning him toward it. It was coming from ahead of him, but he didn't see any flame. But it was certainly a familiar smell, and he decided to follow it. He continued on the path to see if he could find the source of the smell. As he got closer, through the trees he saw a faint flickering of a flame and began to head toward it.

When Vanessa arrived back to her camp, she was far from tired. Instead, she was wide awake and full of energy. But since she had little to entertain herself with, she decided to heat up some soup from the collection of cans she had brought. Perhaps she could entice whoever it was that was hiding from her over with food. She could also attract a bear, but she'd cross that bridge if she got there. She grabbed the portable camping grill and placed it over the flames of her fire, which had held up pretty nicely since she left. She also grabbed a small pot and can opener, and poured the soup in, placing the pot on the grill above the flames. As she waited for her food to heat up, she sat back in her chair and took a glance around. The presence of energy she had been tracking was still strong, and she felt it on the move. It was actually following the same path she had to the impact site.

She took a breath. Leave it alone. Something in her told her to let go and let things happen naturally. She looked back up to the sky where the disturbance had happened over an hour ago now. The sky was silent, and only a few sparse clouds were making their way across the night sky. She couldn't keep her eyes off the spot though. It was like she was hoping it would happen again, and keeping an eye on it would assure her of this. Yet she knew it was unlikely. So instead of waiting for something that wasn't going to happen again, she walked over to her cooler and grabbed an iced tea. Perhaps beer wasn't the best choice this time around if she wanted to stay alert.

Keeping an eye on the forest around her, she let her soup heat up, and moved to stir it from time to time. She let the energy of the night fuel her and let some of it flow out of her. She needed to remain alert but relax a little bit. She took a blanket she had been using as a cushion on the chair and wrapped it around herself, as the temperature had dropped with the waning sunlight. As she waited for her soup to heat up, she noticed the fireflies were out, making a graceful spectacle in the darkness. It calmed her, watching their beauty and the elegance they added to the night. Soon enough the soup was ready and she poured some into a mug to sip on. She leaned back in her chair, clutching the mug as it warmed her hands, and surveyed the site around her.

The food smelled so good. He was definitely closer now. As Loki got closer he found the source of the smells wafting his way. He slowed his pace and let what bit of energy he had left make him more alert. Close enough to see the fire through the trees, he saw a structure that looked like a tent, and the familiar vehicle he had seen before. As he surveyed the site, he saw the fire with the delectable smelling food cooking over it, and next to the fire was the woman he had seen before. She sat in the chair, a cup in her hands, and appeared to be lost in thought. But for some reason he sensed she wasn't as oblivious as she appeared. His eyes flitted to the food once again, and he felt himself lick his lips. He could feel his stomach begging for food, but prayed it wouldn't growl and give him away just yet.

If he wanted that food, he was going to have to think up some good reason as to why he was intruding on her campsite. And was intruding on her campsite the smartest idea in the first place? Perhaps he should move on and find some place else to get sustenance. The flames of her fire reflected off his eyes as he stared from it to her. She was fairly attractive, the flames reflecting off her face and long dark hair. Perhaps he could charm her into giving him the food. He rolled his eyes. Who was he kidding? He wasn't his brother Thor. And for some reason he didn't feel like charm was what would save him right now. Regardless of how he was going to do this, he knew he needed to think of something. Putting on an act just didn't feel right to him. Perhaps if he stuck to something close to the truth it would work, and then he'd just have to go from there. He took a breath and decided to go ahead and make his presence known, hoping beyond hope she wouldn't recognize him and have the authorities dragging him away in chains.

As Vanessa sat by the fire, watching the dancing flames and listening to their hypnotic crackling, she picked up something extra in the atmosphere, adding to the night sounds. The energy signature she had been tracking felt very close, and she couldn't believe she had allowed herself to lose track of it for a bit. Maybe she was more tired than she thought. Beyond the noise of the fire, she heard what sounded like footsteps coming toward her campsite, and she looked up and over to her right where she heard the noise. At first she saw nothing, but she definitely sensed something. Part of her wanted to stand and take a defensive stance, but something in her told her to remain calm. If she got this far with trying to figure this out, the last thing she wanted to do was scare it off. She watched with interest in the dark woods to see what was about to reveal itself to her.

She began to see a tall figure take shape as it got close, the firelight illuminating the white of its skin. So far it appeared human. As it closed the distance between them, she saw it was a tall man, with dark hair. He had what appeared to be a long sleeve shirt on of a dark color, perhaps green. As he came more into the light, she noticed the style of his shirt didn't look quite like what she was normally familiar with when it came to men's fashion. Although, what did she really know about fashion? But it had designs on it that matched the circular pattern she had seen in the clearing from before. Finally he stepped beyond the brush surrounding Vanessa's campsite and she was able to see his features better. He appeared to have light eyes, and a long yet attractive face. His hair was long as well, and a little disheveled looking. He didn't look much older than herself, and as she studied him, she knew he looked familiar. She also sensed the strong energy signature emanating from him. He was definitely what she had been sensing all along.

She slowly set her mug down and calmly stood to get a better look. He paused at the edge of the campsite and appeared to be studying her in the same way she was studying him. For a moment neither one of them said anything, and Vanessa noted the air changing between them. The energy she felt was still present and intense, but instead of an excited sort of feeling, it turned into a more calming energy. She wasn't quite sure what she was sensing, but something was definitely changing in the air between them. Her eyes momentarily became distracted by the fireflies, doing their graceful dance around her campsite, adding to the calming of the atmosphere. After a few more moments of silence between them, she decided to be the first to speak.

"Can I help you?" she asked, a questioning look adorning her face.

She saw him refocus. He took a small step forward and politely gestured in Vanessa's direction.

"Um, yes, actually. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the nearest town. I'm afraid I'm a bit lost," he replied. She noted what sounded like a refined British accent. But something told her he was far from British.

She nodded her head slightly, processing his request.

"Sure. Nearest town is about 70 miles north of here," she answered succinctly, nodding her head in the direction behind her.

He nodded.

"Right," he replied, pausing. He lightly clapped his hands together. "Well then, thank you," he said, nodding and started to take some steps in the direction she indicated.

She felt the breeze he created by walking past her and continued on his journey. She let an un-amused expression adorn her face.

"You know, it'd be much faster if you drove there. Not unless you like walks that take five hours," she stated.

He stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Well, I would, but unfortunately it appears that I lost my," he started, pausing to remember the word. What did they call those things? He was trying to remember from his last visit. Vanessa gave him a questioning look, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, you know, lost my," he said, placing a hand on his hip and gesturing to her car.

She glanced behind her and nodded.

"Car?" she asked, guessing that was what he was referring to.

Recognition struck him.

"Yes, yes, I've lost my car. Yes. Um, so, that is why I won't be uh, driving there," he said, dredging his memory for other vocabulary he had come across from his last visit to Earth.

"Uh-huh," Vanessa stated, crossing her arms. "And how long exactly have you been wandering around in these woods?" she asked, already unconvinced of his story.

"Um, for a few hours. I guess I just ventured off the path a bit too far," he stated. That definitely wasn't a lie.

Vanessa nodded. "Right," she stated, staring at him. He stared right back, unsure of where to go in the conversation. Suddenly his eyes shifted from her to the food over the fire behind her. She caught the direction of his gaze and looked back at the same thing. She turned back to him.

"Well, that's all well and good, but quite frankly, this is dangerous country to be making that long of a journey in the dark. Between the bears, wolves, and boiling pools of spring water, you're pretty lucky to be alive as it is," she noted, going along with his story.

He nodded, briefly looking down.

"And, given your apparent memory loss and slight disorientation, it sounds to me like you've been lost in the woods for more than a mere few hours," she stated, her arms still crossed. Once again, he noted, she wasn't wrong – at least not about the part of being lost in the woods. Given the turn his life had just taken, he was definitely more than lost. Cocking her hip to the side, she saw his eyes flicker back to the food. He diverted his gaze from the food and let a guilty look slip over his face. Vanessa couldn't help but allow a small smile to escape her.

"You hungry?" she asked. At the mention of food he inadvertently swallowed in anticipation of satiating his hunger, but he tried to divert his attention anyway.

"Oh, I couldn't intrude," he started, but his body language betrayed him.

"It's no intrusion," Vanessa stated matter-of-factly, her eyes half lidded.

The man stared at her, unsure if her invitation was a smart choice to make. It seemed a little too easy. As much as he wanted to accept, he continued to be cautious.

"No, it's a very generous offer, but I couldn't," he stated, gesturing.

Vanessa shifted her weight to her other leg.

"Actually you can. Because, I'm inviting you," she stated, pausing briefly. She put her hands in the air to indicate slight defeat. "But, it's up to you."

He looked from her to the food and then back to her again. His stomach ached at the smell, being so close yet so far. And even though he wanted it so badly, for some reason he didn't want to venture closer. He felt like he was encroaching on her territory. He couldn't say he found her immensely intimidating, but something made him feel cautious.

Vanessa could feel the tension in the air, and decided to soften up a little. Even though she had her suspicions about this man, she needed to lighten up. Her body language communicated a more defensive stance than what she was aiming for.

She uncrossed her arms and waved him into her camp, a smile on her face.

"Come on. I've got plenty," she stated, walking toward the fire.

He looked down, and then back to her, as she walked toward the camp and grabbed another mug and ladle. "I hope you like vegetable beef," she stated, ladling the soup into a mug. Deciding it truly was better than going hungry for the night, and the fact that he was meeting his original objective, he walked over to the side of the fire.

"Here you go," she stated, handing him the mug with the steaming soup. "Enjoy," she smiled as she sat in her chair, grabbing her own mug.

With the soup in hand, he inhaled its glorious scent. Nothing could have smelled better to him at that point, and despite his hunger, he gingerly tipped the cup to his mouth, allowing the warm soup to reach his lips. A warm, beefy taste invaded his mouth and he swallowed hungrily. It felt wonderful to have even the taste linger in his mouth. As he sipped his mug, he stood next to the fire, Vanessa watching him. She could tell he was enjoying his meal.

She gestured to a spare chair she had set up around her fire. Originally she had used it to set her paperwork on, but at the moment it remained paperwork free.

"Please, sit down," she suggested.

"Oh," the man stated, interrupted in his flavorful experience. He made his way to the chair and sat down. "Thank you," he replied, looking at Vanessa as he sat down. He brought the soup to his lips and continued enjoying his meal.

Vanessa continued to watch him, sipping on her own soup from time to time. She watched him like she was studying him. He appeared so engrossed in his food that he didn't seem to notice. Or perhaps he didn't care. Either way, she pondered his appearance at her fireside. She decided to ladle some more soup into her mug.

"So, what's a guy like you doing all the way out here in a place like this?" she asked, starting conversation.

He took a break from his soup and looked to Vanessa, giving her a questioning look.

"Um, well," he started. How to explain? "It's a uh, a vacation of sorts," he began, going with whatever sounded cohesive.

"Of sorts," Vanessa repeated, trying to follow this guy. He looked briefly to her. He could tell she was trying to figure him out – perhaps test him.

"Well, you know, sometimes when things don't quite go your way, and you just need to retire for a bit," he explained. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Ah," she stated, nodding in agreement. "So you could say you're taking a break from it all?" she supplied.

He looked down at the soup in his hands, and then back to her.

"Um, yes. Precisely," he confirmed.

"So uh, how bad did things go for you that you needed to get away?" she asked.

He looked to the fire, slightly nodding with an acknowledging look on his face.

"They, uh, got pretty bad," he admitted. That certainly wasn't a lie.

Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah, I've been down that road before," she said, the firelight reflecting off her face, a calm but serious expression. "It's rough," she added, looking briefly to him.

"Yes," the man agreed.

"Do you think this little vacation will help?" Vanessa asked curiously.

He looked into the fire contemplatively, but furrowed his brow. He looked to Vanessa.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. He didn't know what he was looking for or what he wanted. He felt like he was starting over. Again.

"Hm," Vanessa added, adopting a similar contemplative demeanor, leaning back in her chair. A silence hung in the air as they tried to figure where the conversation should lead. Vanessa took another sip of her soup. She lowered her cup and looked over at the man.

"You know, I don't think I caught your name," she stated suddenly. The man lowered his cup suddenly, almost choking. He hadn't quite thought that far ahead.

"Um," he started, already feeling like he was fumbling. "Right," he began again. Vanessa looked at him with a relatively expectant look on her face. He looked to her, and then to the ground again. "I'm Lo -," he began, but stopped himself. He couldn't go with his real name. He needed to think fast. "Um, sorry. Still a little disoriented from my journey," he stalled. "Um, my name is Logan," he blurted out. It was the best he could do.

"Logan," Vanessa repeated, not sounding completely convinced.

"Yes. Logan. Logan Loffson," he continued, adding a last name in order to sound a little more authentic. He cringed though. Loffson was a little too close to his real name – well, at least the one granted by his biological father, Laufey. But it was going to have to do for now. He certainly couldn't tell her his real name was Loki, the very Loki who attacked Earth and was pathetically beaten by the Avengers in the previous year. He didn't know who this woman was, who her connections were, or if she would even recognize him, but he knew he couldn't risk his exposure – at least not yet.

Vanessa sat back in her chair, contemplating his answer. She looked at him skeptically, and he almost thought she was going to blow his cover, but she suddenly looked ahead of her in the distance.

"I know a guy named Logan," she stated suddenly. Loki gave her a perplexed look. Well, that wasn't what he was expecting. "He's pretty cool. Super sexy," she stated matter-of-factly, like he knew what she was talking about. Loki let his eyes wander away from her, trying to figure out where she was going with this. "Yeah, but he never returns my calls. I think he's avoiding me," she went on. Loki maintained his perplexed stare. Vanessa continued to stare into the distance, her eyes scrunched up in a reverie of some kind. She suddenly slightly shook her head and blinked. "Oh well. I'm sure I'll get him one of these days. Anyway, my name is Vanessa," she stated suddenly, shaken out of her reverie. She leaned forward, extending her hand toward Loki.

He looked at her, almost reluctant to do anything, but slowly extended his hand and grasped hers.

"Vanessa House," she added. "Nice to meet 'cha Logan," she smiled, shaking his hand.

He nodded, a mildly skeptical look still on his face.

"Likewise," he replied. What exactly he had gotten himself into?

He leaned back in his chair, keeping an eye on this woman. He wasn't sure how to gauge her. One minute she seemed defensive, the next welcoming, and the next distant. One thing he noticed for sure was a sense of strong confidence about her. Either she was very stupid for allowing a complete stranger into her camp, or she knew how to handle this stranger should he become a threat. For some reason, he got the feeling it was the latter. Given her questions of him, he already sensed she knew he definitely wasn't from around here. He wasn't convinced she believed his story so far, but on the off chance that she did he didn't dare blow his cover.

Some more minutes passed between them, Loki enjoying his dinner and Vanessa enjoying the now finally peaceful night air. The energy she sensed was definitely associated with Loki, and still remained at an energetic level, but it had changed in quality. If anything, she felt at ease and peaceful. And there truly wasn't a good reason or explanation for it. All she knew was that she wasn't afraid of this man - despite her suspicions of him.

"So, I assume you're fairly eager to reach civilization huh?" she asked suddenly. Loki looked over at her.

"Well, not exactly. I mean, yes, I am, but, mainly just to find a place to stay for the next few days," he replied. He knew he wasn't making much sense. What _did_ he want?

Vanessa narrowed her eyes and looked briefly to the side.

"So, that's a 'yes'?" she asked.

Loki sighed and leaned back in his chair looking defeated at the fire.

"I guess," he admitted. But something jolted him back to reality. He looked up suddenly to Vanessa. "But you on no account are required to help me. I didn't mean I wanted to take you away from what you're doing here," he stated seriously. Despite his own issues and anger at the universe, he felt that relying on anyone other than himself was another acknowledgement of his weakness. He needed to figure this out on his own and do things on his own. But Vanessa was already getting up and grabbing the paperwork she had been working on and taking it over to her car.

"None sense. You've been out here wandering for who knows how long. Well, you know. But given your disoriented state I can't see I'll be getting a straight answer any time soon," she explained, allowing her inner thoughts to flow out of her mouth like she usually did.

"No really, I insist. I can't ask you to do anything more for me. You've done enough already," he stated, almost pleading with Vanessa.

Vanessa turned around suddenly after placing her paperwork in the back seat of her car.

"Look Logan, I cannot with good conscience allow you to just get up and wander this park at night in hopes that you will eventually find civilization. You'll be lucky if you make it 10 miles from here. I guarantee something will kill you – especially if you don't know where you're going or anything about this environment," Vanessa postulated, a hand on her hip and pointing to the general wilderness to better illustrate her point.

Loki rolled his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"Number one, I can handle myself. Number two, how can you assume I know nothing about this environment?" he asked, challenging her. His blood slightly boiled at the insinuation that he was helpless. He had seen some of the most horrible places of the universe in his previous exile from Asgard. If he could survive that, he could certainly survive this.

"Well, I'd love to assume you can handle yourself, but considering your apparent confusion upon your arrival, it appears evident that you are more than unfamiliar with this territory," she stated, folding her arms over her chest.

Loki slowly stood up, placing his mug on the ground beside him. He took a few slow steps toward the woman.

"And how can you not attribute that to fatigue? I could merely be dehydrated and malnourished," he suggested, matching her argument. He hated to admit that this little debate was entertaining him. A sly smile had appeared on his face, showcasing his delight. "And now that you have so graciously fed me, for which I am thankful, I will also graciously bow out and be on my way," he smiled, and again started to walk past her. He only got a few steps beyond her when her voice was stopping him once again.

"You know, there's also the chance you'll be stopped by an authority of the park," she stated, a triumphant smile on her lips. He turned his upper body to look back at her.

"You see, the park closes at dusk," she stated, taking slow steps toward him. "And if you're caught in the park after dark without clearance, there is not only a hefty fine to pay, but you will be escorted by the authorities and questioned as to what business you had in the park at night," she explained, her hand making its way back to her hip. She cocked her eyebrow at him. "Yet conveniently enough, it appears as though I have said clearance. So I am free as a bird. But you, on the other hand," she continued, gesturing to him. She didn't finish the sentence, since even he knew the outcome.

He glared down at her. He was starting to wish he hadn't even made himself known to this woman. He would have been better off if he had avoided her altogether and tried his luck getting through this forest without her help. But she did have a point. The last thing he wanted to be was captured by the authorities of Earth. He would most definitely be recognized among them and his fate would be sealed. But was he actually going to put his trust in this woman? For all he knew, she'd deal him the same hand as the authorities she spoke of.

He eyed her, trying to figure her out. She stared into his eyes defiantly, cocking her eyebrow again, as if to ask what his decision was. He looked away briefly and taking a breath looked at her once again. "Fine," he stated. "If you'd like me to accompany you out of here so badly, then so be it," he added, trying to take a slight jab at her pride. But it failed to shake her. She smiled triumphantly.

"Good boy," she fired back.

Loki narrowed his eyes at that last comment, but he let it slide, as he watched her walk back toward the fire and she begin to gather the two chairs she had set up and make her way to her car. He decided in order to get things moving, the best thing to do was help her clean up her camp. So he walked over and began to help her take down her tent and gather the rest of her things for their journey, praying he had made the right decision to trust this woman.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki stared out the dark window as the nighttime scenery passed by at 45 miles an hour. The moon shone brightly, shedding some light on the forest around them. They had been in the car for about a half hour already, and Loki tried to settle himself in his seat. Vanessa drove, vigilantly watching the road, but remained silent. The air between them was heavy with questions – at least that was how Loki felt. But given that he was currently at the mercy of this woman, he knew he'd have to tread lightly, until he had more of an advantage. More scenery passed them by.

"How could you assume I didn't have clearance?" Loki asked out of the blue.

Vanessa looked briefly over at him.

"What?" she asked.

"To exit the park," he clarified.

"Oh," Vanessa answered, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting comfortably in her lap. She shrugged, her eyes remaining on the road. "Call it a hunch," she started, pausing. "I threw it out there to see what your response would be. And given you didn't immediately tell me you had clearance, I think it was safe to assume you don't," she explained.

Loki nodded. He had to admit he didn't feel her response was what she truly suspected, but perhaps that was his own paranoia seeping through. But he did have to admit this woman was clever. She certainly didn't miss much.

"So, if you think I don't have a pass to get in here, how do you think I entered the park in the first place?" Loki asked, curious of her response.

Vanessa drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She had the oddest feeling she was being tested by this man. But she wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

"Well, sometimes people wander into the park without going through the official entrances," she suggested. "It's rare, given the harsh surrounding terrain," she continued. "But, perhaps you had the strength to beat those odds," she stated, a slight question in her voice. Her eyes drifted briefly to the man sitting next to her. A small smile appeared on her face, for a reason she wasn't so sure of. She found him looking at her, their eyes briefly making contact, and he nodded, acknowledging her logic. He could agree with it for now.

The rest of the drive proved relatively uneventful as they made their way out of the park. True to form, there were guards at the exit Vanessa had to deal with. They briefly questioned her about "Logan" in the car beside her, but she merely waved him off as a student intern. The guard appeared to buy her explanation and allowed them to pass easily out of the park. Loki looked over next to him at Vanessa and admired her quick thinking. He was also grateful for it.

About another 20 minutes of driving and Loki saw what looked like a small city nestled in the foothills of some surrounding mountains. The warm lights of the city glistened as they got closer and Vanessa felt herself relax as she approached what she now called home.

"Welcome to Obsidian Ridge," Vanessa stated, a warmer smile adorning her face. Loki found himself staring at what looked like a quaint town. They entered into what appeared to be the main street, where grocery shops, boutiques, restaurants, and tourist shops inhabited. Some larger buildings also occupied the main street, which to Loki looked like lodging. If he remembered his vocabulary correctly, they called those 'hotels.' The look of the town was rustic, and had a warm quality about it. Many of the buildings had a cabin-like style to them. As he admired the architecture, he noticed smaller dots of light in the forest going up the side of the mountain, and how they were headed in that direction.

"Here's the main drag of Obsidian Ridge. It's got all of your usual stops any city has and needs. It's got some great restaurants and some awesome hiking in this area. But we won't be stopping here tonight," Vanessa explained as they made their way out of the buildings of the city and toward the higher elevations. Loki looked over to her, and then back toward where they were headed.

Vanessa continued to follow the main road which wound its way out of the heart of the city and up into the forest and higher elevations. The forest was relatively thick, but winding driveways appeared here and there offering glimpses of the opulent mountain cabins and houses which resided here. After ten minutes more and Loki wondering if they would ever stop, Vanessa took a turn onto a road to the left and followed another winding way. As they drove, a clearing in the trees revealed a large property, where Loki and Vanessa were welcomed by two large multistory cabins, unified by one large deck. They appeared to almost grow out of the mountainside, their large wall sized windows overlooking the entire valley below.

Lights were on inside, indicating life in the cabins. As they approached, Loki could swear he saw someone walking across one of the rooms. Vanessa drove to the back of the property and parked her car in the large driveway behind the house. She looked over to Loki.

"Welcome to my humble abode," she smiled, opening the car door and stepping out. Loki followed suit and shut the door as she grabbed her duffle bag from the back seat and started toward the home. Vanessa stepped through the door in the garage and into the laundry room, walking directly into the kitchen. She placed her duffle bag on the kitchen table.

"Hi honeys, I'm home!" she yelled in the general direction of the living room. She knew she heard the television on in there. Gabe was the first to appear from around the corner.

"Vanessa! What are you doing back?" he asked, surprised she had returned early.

"What, no 'Vanessa I missed you so much, why did you leave me to wallow in my loneliness?'" she retorted smartly. Gabe raised his eyebrows.

"Well, you know, I mean, yeah, welcome back, but, I meant, why are you back so soon? I thought you'd be out there for a few more days," he explained.

"Well, as much as I'd love to give you clearance to host crazy raves while I was gone, looks like you're gonna have to put those plans on hold," she returned. She walked to the fridge to grab a drink. She looked to Loki, holding one out to him.

"You want one?" she asked. He was almost startled at her request, as he tried to quickly digest the environment around him. He looked to her.

"Um, sure," he said, taking the drink from her. However, he was distracted when he caught movement from where the first man had come.

Jesse strode in leisurely holding an already opened pop can. He was flanked by Stephen as well.

"Well hey there boss," he smiled, greeting her. "Have a nice expedition?" he asked.

Vanessa smiled.

"Oh you know, went pretty typical. At least as typical as a topography survey can go," she replied. She leaned against the middle island in the kitchen. "And you know, when strange people come across your campsite, that tends to change things up a bit," she smiled, nodding to Loki who hung behind her.

"Guys, this is Logan. Logan, I'd like you to meet my team," she introduced, gesturing out to the men in the kitchen. She strained her neck trying to peak into the living room from her position. "Well, almost my team. Adam? You in there being a lazy bum?" she yelled into the living room.

"Oh come on, can't a guy get some time to watch his favorite porn in peace?" a voice yelled from the other room.

She smiled and looked to Loki. "Yep, that's my team for ya. True gems of the academic arena," she commented, taking a swig of her drink.

"I heard that," Adam yelled, straining his voice against what obviously sounded like an action movie on in the background.

"I think he missed you," Jesse supplied, smiling. He made a movement toward Loki and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jesse," he greeted, Loki taking his hand and shaking it.

"Likewise," Loki replied, grasping his hand firmly and nodding his head. He felt the need to assert himself a little more as more men filtered into the room.

"Yeah, he's going to be rooming with us for a few days," Vanessa explained. She briefly looked over to Loki. "Found the poor thing wandering around in the woods all kinds of lost. I just had to bring him home with me," she continued, adorning a small pouty face. Loki raised a brow at her. Footsteps were heard coming from the living room.

"You bringing home strange men again boss? Need I remind you of what happened the last time you did this? I still can't get the stains out of the carpet," Adam asked, following suit and grabbing a beer from the fridge.

Vanessa gave him an intrigued look.

"Please Adam, indulge me," she stated, leaning in his direction, challenging him to continue with his train of thought. He looked to her and then to Loki and shrugged.

"I'm just pulling your chain boss. But honestly, this doesn't seem that out of character for you," Adam replied, shrinking back just a bit.

Vanessa just stared at Adam, purposely aiming for him to feel awkward.

"Right," she stated slowly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Hey, speaking of strange, did you see that crazy burst of light earlier on?" Gabe asked, excitement lacing his voice. Loki looked to Vanessa who looked over at him calmly.

"Burst of light?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, it was like a pillar or something. I've never seen anything like it," Gabe continued. "It only lasted for a few seconds. But it looked like it landed in the vicinity of your campsite."

Vanessa looked to her other team members.

"You guys see what he's talking about?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Nah, I was too busy watching my porn," Adam supplied, a wide smile on his face.

Jesse shifted his weight and looked down to the floor, a small chuckle escaping him. He shook his head.

"Gabe, maybe it was lightning," Stephen said, keeping his voice low. Gabe crossed his arms.

"Oh come on. None of you saw it? It certainly wasn't like any kind of lightning I've ever seen," Gabe went on, certain what he saw wasn't his imagination. "But it was awesome. You had to have seen it Vanessa," he pressed.

Vanessa scrunched up her eyebrows. Loki watched her, unsure of what to expect.

"Nope, can't say it sounds familiar. Maybe I was napping or something," she replied.

Gabe rolled his eyes and almost gave an exasperated gesture.

"Oh come on, you mean nobody else saw it but me? It was so bright," Gabe went on. "It was this pillar of light that had all of the colors in the rainbow in it. It was amazing," Gabe continued.

"Colors of the rainbow? Gabe, I told you that mashing up the marshmallows in Lucky Charms and snorting them was bad for your health," Adam retorted to Gabe's rant.

Gabe looked behind him to Adam.

"I'm telling you, I saw something. I'm a scientist damn it. I wouldn't lie about an observation like this," Gabe defended.

"Yeah, because we're not capable of that or anything," Adam said under his breath.

Suddenly Vanessa clapped her hands together.

"Ok guys, feel free to continue your little pow-wow, but Logan here has had a long and tiresome journey, and I'm sure he'd like a chance to rest. Plus, we don't want his brain to rot hanging around you guys and this conversation. But, I'm going to request he stay in one of the extra rooms you guys have, since, you know, you're men and stuff," Vanessa stated, putting on her motherly-boss voice. She needed to get this train back on the tracks. Jesse took the queue from Vanessa and looked to Loki.

"I can show him to the extra room if you like," Jesse offered.

Vanessa smiled.

"I can always count on you Jesse," she complimented. "That's why you're my favorite."

"Suck up," Adam looked to Jesse and scoffed.

"Oh, and Jesse, do you think you could let him borrow some clothes. I think his were destroyed along his journey or something," Vanessa asked, looking over to Loki, who watched her just as carefully.

"No problem," he replied, a calm smile on his face. "Come on, the room is this way," he smiled, nodding his head in the direction toward the living room. As Jesse stepped out, Loki followed him, and the rest of the group wandered into the living room too.

As Loki walked with Jesse, he heard Gabe insist of what he saw.

"I'm telling you, I saw a definitive pillar of light. Wasn't there something like that with that Avengers thing in New York? Or that Thor guy. Right? I need to get a hold of Jane Foster. She'd know I'm not crazy," Gabe went on.

"Yeah, yeah, Gabe. I think you need to lay off the beer so late at night. Or the Lucky Charms," Adam countered, not taking Gabe's bait.

Loki followed Jesse as he made his way to the stairs and found himself looking around at the large cabin they were in. It definitely had a cozy feeling to it, but was more modern in appearance. After crossing the large living room Loki followed Jesse up some stairs to the second floor and up to a loft. With the large windows looking out from the living room, on the second floor Loki could see through them to the expansive valley and landscape below. They certainly had a great view from this location. Despite the beautiful view, which Loki imagined was even better in the day time, he found himself lagging behind Jesse, who stopped at the beginning of a hallway lined with several doors.

"Unfortunately most of us have taken up most of the rooms up here, but luckily we keep one open for guests," Jesse stated as he popped into a bedroom at the front of the hallway and flipped the light on. As they walked in, Jesse walked across the room to the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed to add a little more light. "I hope this one will do for you. You've got a great view of the valley below from here," Jesse said, gesturing to the window behind him. Loki walked in and nodded to Jesse, thanking him for his kindness. Jesse looked around the room. "Guests get the best room in the house. It's the only room with a bathroom attached to it," he explained pointing to his left at a doorway in the wall next to the bed. "Everything is in there, and if you need anything don't be afraid to ask. We can always hook you up. Oh, that reminds me," he continued, briefly exiting the room and walking further down the hallway. Loki walked to the dresser to his left and distracted himself by looking at the few little knick-nacks decorating it. He heard footsteps coming back down the hall as Jesse returned with a small pile of folded clothing in his hands. He smiled as he handed it to Loki.

"Here you go. I hope it all fits. If not, I can ask the other guys if they have something that does. There's a set of pajamas in there too, so you have something comfortable to sleep in," Jesse explained as Loki took the clothing from him.

"Thank you. You really didn't have to," Loki responded, a wave of guilt washing over him. He didn't feel comfortable with having these people take care of him. He didn't even know what he was doing here. Shouldn't he be suffering? Shouldn't he be on his own, keeping a low profile? Wasn't that the point of exile? What was with the kindness from these people?

Jesse waved Loki's comment off.

"Oh, it's no problem. We're glad to welcome a visitor," Jesse smiled. He let his hand rest on the dresser as Loki placed the clothing on it. "So lost in Yellowstone, huh?" Jesse asked, curious about this new visitor's story.

"Sorry?" Loki asked, confused as to what Jesse was referring.

"Vanessa said you were lost in the park. You venture off a trail or something?" Jesse asked, clarifying.

"Oh," Loki replied, pausing before answering. "Yellowstone" was the term throwing him off. He didn't quite understand what that referred to. But despite his confusion he looked to Jesse, slightly nodding. "Yes, something like that," he answered, looking slightly to the side.

Jesse nodded. "Well, you're lucky you came across Vanessa. It's a risk wandering the park at night," Jesse commented.

Loki lightly nodded. "Yes. That was what she said," Loki responded, not too enthusiastically. Jesse picked up on his uncomfortable demeanor.

"Something bothering you?" Jesse asked, furrowing his eyebrows in slight concern.

Loki looked up to Jesse. He sighed.

"Look, I'm very grateful for all of your generosity, but I can't stay here," he started. Jesse creased his brow, questioning Loki's statement. "I only wanted to get to the nearest town. Vanessa was nice enough to provide that, but I didn't mean for her to take me to her home. I really can't take advantage of your generosity like this," Loki explained. He meant what he said. It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable with these people, but the situation seemed too convenient. Perhaps he felt like he needed to punish himself, which sounded absurd when he really thought about it. But he felt like he needed to be alone – or at least out of a public eye. He felt like he was succumbing to failure by allowing others to take responsibility of him. Despite Loki's discomfort, Jesse merely smiled at Loki's statement.

"Hey, it's not a problem. Really," he responded genuinely. "Look, I can't force you to stay here, and if you truly feel it best you leave, then do what you have to do. But we really are more than happy to help you out and give you a place to stay. It's really no problem," Jesse explained. He could see Loki's discomfort still apparent as he looked around the room, avoiding Jesse's gaze. From Jesse's perspective, he got the feeling like this guy was struggling with himself about something. Jesse reached out and put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Come on. Just stick around for a day or so. At least until you get yourself situated," he suggested kindly. Loki looked at him, and then allowed his eyes to drift to the side, as if he was thinking the suggestion over. Just as he was about to respond, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway toward them.

"So, you getting Logan all settled in?" Vanessa inquired as she entered the room, checking in on them. Jesse looked to Loki, who stared back, and gave his shoulder a pat.

"I think so," Jesse stated confidently, smiling. Loki raised his brow, as if to admit defeat, and then nodded, deciding to stay for the night. Vanessa looked from Jesse to Loki.

"Good," she smiled. She clapped her hands together and looked to Jesse. "Well, I suggest we get the heck out of here and give Logan some space. I'm sure he's tired and is secretly wishing we'd leave," she nodded, looking briefly to Loki. He raised a brow at her. Jesse nodded and took a few steps toward Vanessa. "So, Logan, you sleep well, and if you need anything, just let these knuckleheads know. They'll take care of ya," she smiled, briefly patting Jesse's shoulder. Jesse slightly rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement.

Loki looked at the ground and then back up to Vanessa and Jesse.

"Thank you. For all of this," he stated. He still wasn't sure how he felt about everything, but he was lucky for coming across these people. He didn't quite understand their kindness toward him, but going along with it felt like the best thing to do, rather than fight it.

"Don't worry about it. We're glad to help," Vanessa smiled genuinely. She looked to Jesse and lightly smacked his shoulder. "Now come on, let's get outta here," she stated suddenly, and then disappeared down the hallway. Jesse nodded and took a few steps toward the doorway. He stopped briefly before exiting and looked to Loki.

"See you tomorrow," he smiled, nodding slightly. Loki nodded in response as Jesse too disappeared around the corner and then down the hallway.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun shone in Loki's bedroom brightly, filtering in through his closed eyelids and forcing him to wake up. Briefly he laid there, trying to remember what had happened and where he was. He closed his eyes again, enjoying the warm bed surrounding him and took a deep breath in. However, he was distracted from his serenity when he heard what sounded like the clanking of dishes going into a sink. Oh yeah, he had been booted from Asgard and was now the guest in a house where four other men resided, and were directed by a woman named Vanessa. He opened his eyes again. He looked to his right and out to the morning sky, which was clear and blue. He was tempted to lay there for longer and fall back asleep, but decided against it when he heard more noises of people awake downstairs.

He pushed the sheets back on the bed and swung his legs over and paused, stretching. He ran his hand through his hair as he looked around his room. He almost felt disoriented. Everything had changed so quickly over the last day. He was constantly recalibrating himself. He got up and went into his bathroom.

He took a look at himself in the mirror. He leaned in and looked at what looked like a bruise on his cheek, but upon rubbing it, it disappeared, only being dirt. It was probably from when he landed so hard on the ground the night before. Looking at the rest of himself, he determined he could certainly use a bath. He looked around the bathroom, trying to figure it out. Asgard wasn't much different in this department, but he did notice some differences. He pulled back an opaque glass door, to find a shower head, determining that was where he was to wash himself. But what to use?

He saw some bottles resting on the shelving in the shower and grabbed one of them. He tried to read what it said, but given that he couldn't read English, couldn't make it out. Was it for hair? For the body? He popped the lid open and smelled it, a clean fresh scent wafting out. He wasn't sure what it was for, but he determined the smell was nice. He then spotted what looked like a bar of something also resting on the side of the tub. Putting down the bottle he grabbed the bar, which had a waxy feel to the touch. It also had a fresh clean scent associated with it. Upon looking at it, he determined it must be used to rub on the skin. Putting it in hair wouldn't make sense. It was times like these that he missed Asgard. He knew how to do everything there. Even though washing in a bathroom was a simple task, it was certainly more of a challenge when you weren't quite sure what you were using. After determining what he thought was for the hair and the body, playing around with the faucet and how to get the water to the right temperature, he had the shower head running waiting for him to use. Stepping into the shower, he slid the door shut and let the warm water renew him.

Feeling clean and refreshed Loki wrapped the towel around his waist after drying the rest of himself off. Throwing another towel around his shoulders he walked back into his room and looked through the clothing Jesse had left for him the night before. Even though the clothing wasn't exactly the fashion back on Asgard, Loki figured it would do for now. After donning the pair of jeans and dark gray t-shirt, Loki looked in the mirror of his dresser again, and combed his fingers once more through his damp hair. He sighed looking at his appearance and decided to make his way downstairs. Another new adventure to begin again.

Upon the last step of the staircase Loki saw Gabe and Stephen eating breakfast at the table in the kitchen while Jesse leaned against the counter leisurely drinking some coffee while holding a newspaper and perusing its pages. Hearing Loki's steps Jesse looked up and smiled.

"Morning Logan. Sleep well?" he asked kindly, placing his paper on the counter next to him.

Loki nodded. "Yes, thank you," he replied, slowly walking into the kitchen.

Jesse motioned to the kitchen table.

"Please, sit down. Want anything special for breakfast?" he asked, as Loki pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Um," he started, not sure how to respond. He knew what he would eat on Asgard, but did they have the same food here on Earth? He looked to Jesse with a weak smile. "What have you got?" he asked.

"Well, we've got cereal, waffles, and I can throw some eggs and bacon together if you want," Jesse listed.

"Jeeze Jesse, I wish you'd wait on me like this too. You got a crush on this guy or something?" Adam stated, lazily walking into the kitchen, his hair still disheveled from sleep.

"Morning Adam," Jesse merely replied. Adam grunted in Jesse's general direction and then looked to Loki, nodding in acknowledgement.

"'Sup?" he shortly asked, and kept walking to the coffee pot.

Loki just nodded, noticing Adam was clearly not a morning person.

"Um, I'll have whatever you recommend," Loki replied, returning to Jesse's query about breakfast. Honestly, the only thing he understood out of what Jesse listed was eggs, so he decided to let Jesse surprise him.

"O.k. Eggs and bacon it is then," Jesse stated happily, opening the fridge and grabbing what he needed. As Loki sat at the table, Adam wandered over to join him, Gabe, and Stephen, carrying two cups of coffee. He pushed one in Loki's direction.

"Here, you look like you could use a cup," he lazily grunted and sat down.

Gabe rolled his eyes.

"Ignore him. He's just pissed he's not getting breakfast made for him," Gabe stated, giving Adam a disapproving look. Loki looked down at the dark steaming liquid in front of him, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He grabbed the mug and brought it to his nose, inhaling a rich roasted scent. Deciding he had probably drunk worse in his life, he took a small sip. At first the taste was a bit on the chalky side, but as it went down, it actually was a bit more pleasant – although he wasn't completely satisfied. Gabe noticed Loki's reaction to the coffee.

"Yeah, I don't like coffee black either. Here," he said, sliding some cream and sugar Loki's way. Loki was happy he recognized those two items, and took a spoonful of sugar and put it in his coffee.

"Do we still have to analyze those samples today?" Gabe asked, stated to all the men in the room.

"Yeah. Gotta get those Rhyolite samples analyzed today too. Unless her highness tells us otherwise," Adam conferred.

"Man, I hate using that electron microscope. It's so old. You'd think with the research we're doing they could afford to update that stuff for us," Gabe complained. Loki merely listened, unsure of what they were talking about. To him it sounded like they were researchers of some kind.

"That's government funding for you," Stephen piped in.

"Yeah well, if they can fund Area 51 to keep aliens a secret, then they can afford to give us new equipment," Gabe countered.

"Well, the joke's on them because we know aliens are real, so whatever the secret their keeping, it probably has to do with Tony Stark or whatever," Vanessa stated smartly, as the door from the deck shut behind her. The guys at the table looked over to her. She looked over to Loki.

"Well good morning Mary sunshine! Sleep well?" she asked brightly.

"Very well. Thanks," Loki replied, a small smile on his face. "You?"

Vanessa went over to Jesse to look in on what he was fixing.

"Well, if you consider having dreams filled with hot men a good nights sleep, then yes, I slept very well," Vanessa answered, smiling deviously.

Adam raised his eyebrows. "Aww, you were dreaming of me? I'm flattered," he replied.

Vanessa stole a piece of bacon Jesse had going in the pan. She looked with a furrowed brow over to Adam.

"You don't look like Heath Ledger," she stated. Jesse laughed as both Gabe and Stephen let out exclamations of surprise that Adam had clearly been burned. Loki was a little lost in the mix, but he got the gist of what they were talking about and smiled along with them.

"Order up," Jesse stated, bringing a plate over to Loki filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Loki took the plate from Jesse.

"Thank you," he replied graciously.

Adam looked to Jesse incredulously.

"Where's mine?" he asked, his arms outstretched.

Jesse was wiping his hands on a dish towel.

"Do not ask and you shall not receive," he smiled. Adam adopted a goofy expression on his face.

"Ha ha, o.k. Mr. Chieftain," he mocked. Jesse merely cocked an eyebrow and nodded, knowing he was right.

"Adam, I know it is not beyond you to make your own breakfast. Plus, Logan is a guest. He deserves special treatment," she smiled, looking over at Loki. "Or, are you too weak to fix food for yourself?" Vanessa added, egging Adam on.

"Weak? I'll show you weak. Just wait until my coffee kicks in," Adam countered, taking another swig from his mug.

"Did you go out for a walk or something?" Loki suddenly asked, after a few bites of his breakfast. Vanessa looked at him.

"What?" she asked, confused. Loki looked to the other men and then back to her.

"Well, I mean, you came in from outside," Loki asked, clarifying and pointing behind him at the door.

"Oh," Vanessa replied, realization dawning on her.

"Vanessa doesn't live here with us," Jesse supplied, answering Loki's question. Vanessa nodded, pointing to Jesse as he had stolen the words out of her mouth.

"Yeah, her royal highness lives in the cabin next door," Adam added.

"Oh," Loki replied, his question answered.

"Yep, that whole cabin. All to herself," Adam muttered, jealous of her spacious living as compared to his own. He looked behind him to her. "You know you're lonely over there. How about you let me come over there and keep you company at night. I'd do a good job," he stated, smiling.

Vanessa merely looked at him, adopting a smug grin on her face.

"Well, you know, I would, except for the fact that Gabe has already filled that position," she replied. "Many times," she finished, crossing her arms.

Including Loki, all the men looked at Gabe, who threw his hands up in the air.

"Hey, don't look at me! It's not true," he exclaimed, surprise donning his face.

"Dude, how lucky are you?" Adam asked, raising his eyebrows. Gabe continued to maintain the surprised look on his face.

Vanessa walked over and patted Adam on the shoulder.

"Luckier than you think since he's getting quite a substantial raise because of his laborious efforts," Vanessa winked. Gabe merely sighed. He wasn't going to win this one. "But since we have a whole day until Gabe can work the extra shift, we still have work to do, so everyone get their butts in gear," she said, slapping Adam's shoulder. "We gotta get to the lab."

"Yeah, yeah," Adam replied, and stared jealously over at Gabe. "You lucky bastard," he muttered, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Hey, what about Logan?" Stephen piped in, adjusting the glasses on his face.

Loki looked to Vanessa and then to the rest of the guys at the table.

"Hmm," Vanessa stated, rubbing the bottom of her chin.

"Uh-oh, she's got her thinking face on," Gabe noted, a worried look on his face.

"Perhaps Logan has his own plans," Jesse suggested calmly, acting as the voice of reason in the room.

"True. I'm actually surprised you didn't bolt during the night," Vanessa said, looking directly at Loki.

"Sorry?" Loki asked, not following her.

"Well, you know, that whole 'I can handle myself/I don't need your help' thing," she clarified. Loki merely sighed, not sure how to respond to that.

"Logan, don't listen to her. You're a guest, and can do whatever you'd like. You're more than welcome to relax here if you need to," Jesse supplied gesturing to the house.

"Of course, we are supplying him with a place to stay. He's going to need to earn his keep. And, we could use an extra hand at the lab," Vanessa noted, thinking out loud.

"Oh come on Vanessa. We're fine at the lab. Leave the guy alone," Adam countered, annoyance showing on his face.

"What's this? Jealousy? Trying to get rid of the competition are we?" Vanessa proclaimed staring at Adam. Adam looked to Loki and then back to Vanessa.

"What, and lose to the Bono look-a-like? Yeah right," Adam responded.

Vanessa looked to Loki again.

"So what do you say Logan? You gonna hang with us or hit the road?" she asked, waiting for his answer. Loki looked to Vanessa and the rest of the other guys. Jesse merely leaned against the back counter against the sink and stared patiently at Loki.

What was his plan? Sure, he could strike out on his own and hope he didn't run into S.H.E.I.L.D. or the Avengers. Upon his last visit to Earth, he knew exactly what his goal was - and that obviously didn't work for him. But this time? He was certainly in a different predicament. He was left here abandoned and meant to be alone. Yet oddly enough, he found himself surrounded by quite a group of people. And despite only being with these people for the short time he had, they were actually starting to grow on him. The group looked at him expectantly. He looked to them and nodded.

"You're right. It'd be wrong for me to take advantage of your hospitality. I need to earn my keep," he replied, directing to Vanessa. Vanessa smiled.

"Well then, it's settled. Welcome aboard," she responded.

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me we're just gonna shanghai him into service? What about his family? Friends? You said he was lost in the woods, right? Aren't there people looking for him?" Gabe asked, an incredulous look on his face.

Vanessa looked to Gabe and then to Loki. But before Vanessa could think of a smart remark, Loki beat her to the punch.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that. My family is well aware of where I am, and I can assure you, I am not being missed," Loki replied with an assured smile on his face, looking to Gabe. Gabe furrowed his brow, unsure of what Loki meant. "Plus, I could use something to do. Perhaps, to uh, keep my mind busy," Loki suggested.

"See? I love a ready and willing worker. He's showing promise already," Vanessa smiled. "Now come on guys. We got work to do," she directed as she started walking to the door. As she put her hand on the handle she stopped and turned toward the men. "Oh, and Adam, don't be a princess and take ten hours to get ready. You know how much I hate that," she added, opening the door. Adam narrowed his eyes at her. "Be ready in 20 gentlemen," she stated finally, walking out the door and back toward her cabin.

In the 20 minutes Vanessa expected the men to be ready, they all finally loaded into their cars and trucks. With Loki in tow riding along with Jesse and Adam, they made their way back down to the park and lab. With the daylight, Loki was able to get a better look at the terrain as it passed him by in Jesse's white truck. The mountains the cabins were located in were normal enough, but Loki couldn't help but notice how odd the terrain was once they entered what these people called a "park." He wasn't quite sure of the significance of this place, but he guessed "park" was similar to the preserves they had on Asgard. Once again he noticed the same plumes of what looked to be smoke rising from the ground far off in the distance in certain areas. Transfixed by their significance he found himself pulled away from them by Adam's voice.

"So, you British or something?" he asked, breaking Loki from his gaze out the window. He looked to Adam sitting in the back behind the driver's seat. Loki crinkled his brow.

"Sorry?" he asked, unsure of Adam's question.

"Your accent," he started, gesturing to Loki. Oh, yeah.

"Um," Loki began, raising a brow. He let his eyes dart away from Adam and then back. "Sure," he answered, slightly nodding. He wasn't quite sure what "British" meant, but he figured he'd just go with it.

"I knew it. You owe me 10 bucks Jesse," Adam smiled, smacking the back of Jesse's seat. Jesse rolled his eyes and shook his head. Loki merely looked to Adam, his eyes then darting to Jesse. Adam looked smugly to Loki. "He thought you were Australian," he pointed with his thumb.

"I did not," Jesse replied, a small smile on his lips, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You still owe me 10 bucks," he reiterated. Loki heard Jesse sigh, exercising his best patience. "Australian. The guy doesn't even sound close to Australian," Adam muttered more to himself than anyone else, shaking his head. By this time Loki had turned back around to face the front and continued to watch the scenery. But given Adam's question, it was an indication of their curiosity of him. As far as he could tell, his cover wasn't blown yet, but it didn't mean he should let his guard down. Pondering other questions these people might ask of him, Jesse turned his wheel and slowed the truck down. Finding a parking spot at the Visitor Center, Jesse shut the ignition off and opened his door, queuing Adam and Loki to do the same. Stepping out of the truck Loki looked around and noticed the vast expanse of the land. The sun shone brightly down upon the team as he saw Gabe, Stephen, and Vanessa exit from their trucks. Loki squinted as he surveyed the environment around him, the graceful rise and fall of mountain peaks in the far distance. Scanning the environment, his eyes fell upon a large crowd gathered in a clearing, forming a wide circle. They looked to be watching something, but Loki couldn't see what caught their attention.

"Should only be a few minutes now," Vanessa said, walking up behind Loki, glancing at her watch. Loki looked over to Vanessa and then back to the crowd. Within the minute Loki heard a low rumbling. At first he didn't know what to expect, and looked to Vanessa to see if she showed any sign of alarm, but she calmly watched on. Merely a second later, Loki was startled and jerked his head back to the crowd as a giant fountain of water shot out of the ground, plumes of steam and water rising high into the air. The crowd cheered at the geyser, and even Loki had to admit he was mildly impressed. Earth appeared to hold more surprises than he had expected. He strangely felt happy to encounter something familiar. He had encountered geysers back on Asgard, and other places he had traveled in his lifetime.

"So were they nice to you on the drive down?" Vanessa asked, as Loki continued to admire the tower of water. Loki was about to reply when Adam cut him off.

"Of course we were. And you know what we found out? Jesse's an idiot," Adam stated, smiling widely, as though he had come to some great revelation. Jesse once again rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and looked disapprovingly at Adam.

"Oh? Well, you know what they say," Vanessa started, her eyes half lidded, and staring to Adam. "Takes one to know one," Vanessa fired back, winking to Jesse. Loki couldn't help but allow a small smile grace his lips. Jesse also featured a smile to match Loki's and leaned back on his heals. "Come on guys, shows over. Let's get inside," Vanessa directed, turning around and walking toward the glass doors of the Visitor Center. Loki and the rest of the team followed her lead, entering the structure.

Upon his entrance, Loki found himself looking around, seeing various displays stationed throughout the building. Despite the fact that the rest of the team was making their way to the back, he slowed down, his eyes falling upon a diagram of the Old Faithful geyser, explaining its mechanics. He couldn't read the captions of the diagram, but the pictures were easy enough to follow, illustrating the steps involved that made the geyser act the way it did. Determining this place appeared to be some sort of education center, he continued to look at the diagram, until a voice interrupted his curiosity.

"Neat, isn't it?" Vanessa asked. Loki broke his gaze and looked down to Vanessa.

"It's fascinating, yes," he admitted. He hadn't really cared about the mechanics involved in geysers before. As far as he was concerned, they were natural features common all over the universe. When he really thought about it, it never occurred to him to ponder the workings of such natural features – unless they happened to be significant for some reason. But he could appreciate the obvious curiosity exhibited by the displays around the center, answering questions about the region. Of course, he had seen many more impressive and dramatic displays of natural forces in his travels across the universe. There were things he had seen that humans could only dream of and probably barely comprehend. As his memory searched through his numerous and vast experiences, he caught the movement of Vanessa nodding her head in the direction of the door at the back of the center.

"If you think this is cool, wait until you see the toys we've got," she smiled raising her eyebrows, motioning for Loki to follow her in the direction the rest of the team had gone. Following behind her, he took one last look around the center, before they entered the door at the back and continued on down the hallway. Making her way to the end of the hallway, she opened the door to the room beyond.

"Welcome to our playground," she said, gesturing to the expansive room. Making his way past the cubicles with their consoles, he looked up to the dark ceiling, the large windows lining the room allowing the bright sun in. The room had a technologic feel to it that Loki found oddly aesthetic. It was clean, with what looked like models, books, and diagrams strewn throughout. It was a place of exploration and science, and Loki couldn't help but find himself appreciating it. He was a curious man himself.

Vanessa briefly popped into one of the cubicles and began to boot up her computer. Loki hung behind in the expanse of the room, getting his bearings. Unsure of what he should be doing, he decided to walk over to Jesse, who he found booting up another computer and taking a stack of microscope slides off a shelf to bring to his table.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the large microscope Jesse was preparing to use. Jesse smiled and looked from Loki to the microscope.

"That is a scanning electron microscope," he answered, setting the stack of samples on the table of his workspace. Loki raised a brow, indicating some curiosity. "It's a device that allows us to look at rock samples with great precision. It shoots down a concentrated beam of electrons, which then feed into this computer, and give us a detailed image we can use to study the rock samples we get from out in the field," Jesse explained further. Loki nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Why would you want to study them?" he asked. He hoped it wasn't a question that would blow his cover, but he was genuinely curious. On Asgard, which in his opinion was far more advanced of a society than Earth, they had their own methods of attaining knowledge. Through exploration, battle, and their own forms of study, they had libraries filled with knowledge of the universe. In that respect, Earth was so young of a civilization. But given he was currently at their mercy, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself regarding a comparison of the two.

"Well," Jesse started, his smile steadfast on his face. He loved to teach when he got the chance. "It helps us get a history of the rocks. It tells us how old they are and where and how they formed. If we can identify the minerals we're studying, that tells us the conditions under which they formed, since each mineral is unique and requires different environmental conditions to form. Once we put all of that information together, it tells us a story of the region under study, so we can understand what happened," Jesse explained, gesturing to the slides with the rock samples in them. Loki nodded, finding Jesse's explanation viable. But he couldn't understand why anyone would want to study rocks. They seemed so – boring. Who really cared about how an environment had changed? Once again, it was a concept Loki hadn't put much thought into over his life. He had seen and encountered some odd things over his long lifetime, but as far as nature was concerned, it moved at a snails pace. Not much ever changed, and even if it did, why did it matter? Rocks were rocks. Trees were trees. Water was water. Unless something supernatural intervened, why was it worth concerning oneself with? Yet again, another indication of humanity's lack of progress - which again Loki determined to keep to himself.

"Jesse boring you with all of this science talk Logan?" Loki heard Vanessa ask, appearing behind them and landing a hand on Loki's shoulder. Loki looked down to her and slightly shook his head.

"Not really. He was actually just indulging me and my questions," Loki responded. Vanessa looked between the two of them.

"Good. Get used to it. There's gonna be a lot of that around here," Vanessa said, a smug smile on her face and patting Loki's shoulder once more. "Jeeze you're tall," she observed, crinkling her brow and looking up at him. Loki crinkled his brow in a similar manner.

"Um, thank you?" he replied, looking briefly to Jesse, who smiled at his boss.

"So, let's say we put you to work," Vanessa suddenly stated, looking back up to Loki. Just as Vanessa appeared to be about to suggest some sort of task she had in store for Loki, Jesse gently intervened.

"I was just showing Loki the electron microscope, and I could use some help in sorting out the samples for the slides. I could show him what to do if you like," Jesse offered. Vanessa looked back up to Loki, a meaningful expression on her face, her hand on her hip.

"Sound good to you?" she asked. Loki looked to the side and then back to her.

"Have I a choice?" he asked, curious of her answer. She definitely had a way of commanding her crew, which to Loki was very obvious. But testing her could be fun too. Vanessa raised her brow, and looked him up and down, as if she were the predator and he her prey.

"Well, there's always that gunk under the - ," she started, but was cut off by Jesse.

"I think Logan wants to work with me today. Having an extra hand would make a big difference," Jesse interjected, looking to Vanessa and then to Loki. Vanessa looked between them, her eyes half lidded. She then nodded slightly.

"Very well," she responded, purposely lingering. "Today's your lucky day," she stated, directing to Loki. Loki raised a brow. He wasn't easily intimidated, but he couldn't help but feel the subtle pressure of Vanessa's power over her team – and himself. Despite the fact that he typically resented being bossed around, having had a long history where he was at the mercy of others, today he decided to keep his mouth shut and listen to the orders given. It wasn't like disobeying orders had been doing him any good lately anyway. Vanessa gave them both one last look. "Well, then. Get to work gentlemen," she stated, lingering a moment, and then turning dramatically to make her way back across the room, and disappearing back into her office.

Jesse looked in the direction Vanessa had gone, his eyebrows raised. He let out the breath he had been holding.

"Trust me, you want to work with me today," he said, looking to Loki. "Otherwise she'd have you cleaning toilets or something," Jesse commented, grabbing a collection of rock samples which had been ground up for analysis. "Come on, I'll show you what you need to do," Jesse continued, motioning for Loki to stand next to him and begin his instruction.

"Her bark is worse than her bite! And man does she bite!" Adam yelled down from Jesse and Loki, evidently having heard what had just transpired between them.

"Shut up Adam," they all heard Vanessa yell unenthusiastically from her office. Jesse's face scrunched up and a laugh escaped him, as he shook his head. Loki couldn't help allow a laugh to escape him as well, as he awaited Jesse's instruction and their work to begin.

"Welcome to our team," Jesse supplied, grabbing some samples and starting their work.

**Author's Note: Dear Faithful readers! I just wanted to again take time to thank all of you who read and enjoy my story. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my imagination with people, who hopefully find it interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable. And thank you to all who follow, favorite, and review my story. Every little bit helps. I'm working hard to keep this story going, and my hope is to update every Sunday, unless my schedule dramatically changes, something major happens, or I encounter a horrendous case of writer's block. Hopefully none of those will occur. : ) So thank you again and feel free to leave reviews. And please, if you feel my story worthy, tell your friends about it! It'd truly be an honor! So, once again, on with the show!


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